Against Destiny
by Broth3r
Summary: To simply know of your one's impending doom is too much for most. It takes someone special to rise up and fight against destiny to protect what you hold dear, never giving up, never backing down. It doesn't take power. It takes resolve.
1. Prologue

**"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul**  
><strong> Pride is lost<strong>  
><strong> Wings stripped away, the end is nigh<strong>

**My friend, the fates are cruel**  
><strong> There are no dreams, no honor remains<strong>

**My soul, corrupted by vengeance**  
><strong> Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey<strong>  
><strong> In my own salvation<strong>  
><strong> And your eternal slumber<strong>

**Legend shall speak**  
><strong> Of sacrifice at world's end.<strong>

**But even if the morrow is barren of promises**  
><strong> Nothing shall forestall my return<strong>  
><strong> To become the dew that quenches the land<strong>  
><strong> To spare the sands, the seas, the skies<strong>  
><strong> I offer thee this silent sacrifice."<strong>

The wind carried these words through the night sky, and flipped through the pages of the old leather-covered poetry book, as it was released and fell freely. Upon crashing on the floor, it startled a group of watchful crows, who eerily took flight and circled around the area.

It was time.

"I'm sorry. I'll pray for you."

* * *

><p><em>Bring peace to it...<em>

* * *

><p><em>For how long have I been doing this… <em>

Her left hand trembled, as was usual. She always had needle marks on that arm when she woke up, probably because of some treatment. But that wasn't just it, this time. Something was off. And not knowing what frightened her.

_I can't recall…_

She grabbed her left fist with her right hand, trying to stop the shaking. It worked, but not completely. She gazed at her hand, but her inner thoughts were interrupted by the intensifying signals. They were getting stronger and stronger as she jumped onwards, over the rooftops, through the light rain that little by little soaked the land.

_It's close, I must-_

_-what?_

The signals suddenly vanished, and her Soul Gem fell into a quiet slumber. Alarmed, she sped up and rushed down the street and around the corner, but there was nothing. It was gone, without a trace.

_No one could have got here before. I would have known._

She walked around the empty street, lightly touching the cold, concrete wall with her left hand. What had just happened was a mystery to her, so she looked around for anything resembling a clue. She could see nothing, but as she walked forward, a truck cast its powerful lights on what lied ahead of her, revealing an unpleasant sight.

There was fresh blood spattered everywhere, forming ripples on the surface, dripping from the walls. A window on a second floor, to her left, opened. A child popped its head out, just to run back inside with a loud cry as it witnessed the blood spattered on the windows.

_Was I... too late?_

She closed her eyes in disappointment, and after a moment of silence, threw her hair back, turned around, and disappeared into the darkness of night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

** Alright, a short prologue, maybe too short, I know, but I want to start off easy. Though it is definitely not my first story, it is the first here at FFN, and, well, it's a whole new level, you know.**

**Anyway, I hope I didn't pulled any flops on such a short chapter. I am Portuguese, after all, and thus, without English as my first language, I'll always be subject to some random blunders. That said, I am pretty confident about this. Stay tuned.**

**And if you recognize the poem, don't worry. You won't see black feathers here.**


	2. Via Dolorosa

It was so sad.

The destruction.

The death.

The misery.

The pain.

It was all such a tragedy.

It was so…

Delicious.

So incredibly delicious.

Seeing the blood running down the ruined streets, and clogging up at storm drains as they could not take any more debris, the mothers desperately calling for their children who she ripped apart while they watched, the life being slowly sucked away from those left in the ruins. It fulfilled her to near ecstasy, driving her into a trance-like state.

In particular, a pink-haired girl, whose mauled body floated down the now red-tainted river, torn apart beyond all recognition, save for a shred of her skull, adorned with said hair and a pair of ribbons. For some reason, brutalizing her had been more fulfilling than any other human being.

All that despair.

_So delicious._

And she wanted more, and more, and more. She would gorge herself on the world's pain for all eternity. There would be no end to her festival.

But there would be a temporary pause, as the city was utterly annihilated. There was not a single life left to murder, not a single structure left to raze.

It was time to move on.

She stopped by the one thing that remained: a giant, dark tree, whose roots would probably extend all the way to the moon if they were to be pointed upwards. It's height, no, it's very existence was a defiance to her, as was all life. But she could not help but spare it. As atop the highest branched, laid the one she must address.

And she did so. She peered into his soulless, red eyes, probably the only ones more evil than hers, and waited.

The creature did not move a muscle, but it did speak.

"You're doing an amazing job… Homura Akemi…"

* * *

><p>"The wandering soul knows no rest."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 1**

_**Via Dolorosa**_

* * *

><p>Had her house not been soundproof, she would have probably woken up half the neighborhood. In fact, she might have done so anyway, as her scream was louder than a human could be thought to be able to.<p>

Her hands still shaking, she clumsily picked up the fallen bed sheets and blankets from the ground, and gulped down a good liter and a half of water before stopping, and then only because it was empty. Her breathing was still heavy, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, and she was sweating like she had just run the marathon. It took some five minutes for her to calm down. Just enough for her reasoning to come back, that is.

She sat on the side of bed, trying to shake the still vivid images of the horrendous nightmare. She gazed at her hands, thinking how it was possible for her mind to imagine herself doing such things. And _enjoying_ them.

_No! I will never allow that! _

Her eyes diverted to the nightstand in front of her. There lied on of her few prized possessions: an antique hourglass. She instantly looked away, trying to forget the horrible memories it now brought. It was a treasure from an uncle who had died of cancer, given to her in his deathbed. It reminded her of the few happy moments she had with her family, and how joyful moments should be enjoyed while they last, for life is fleeting, and may run out at anytime.

However, right now, it only brought bitter memories of pain and loss. In the last timeline, she had used too much of her power before Walpurgis, and was defeated in just a couple of minutes, after running out of sand in her shield very early in the battle. It was an utter, complete defeat, and almost an epic ode to her powerlessness and helplessness.

By the time she gained the strength to look back at it, the sand on the top had run out. She took a long gaze at it, and flipped it around, restarting the sand flow.

_I will not happen this time. I will save my power, no matter what it takes._

_Madoka… I promise you, I'll save you. _

_I will never surrender._

Taking a deep breath, she let herself fall back on the mattress. She pulled the sheets, and gently pressed her left cheek against the pillow.

But there would be no more sleep for her, that night.

* * *

><p><em>I'm afraid…<em>

* * *

><p>"A-amazing!"<p>

The pink-haired girl couldn't hold back her excitement over what she'd just seen. The sunset that shined down on the room, through the dusty windows of the rundown building, made her large smile all the more beautiful.

"This is a Grief Seed. A witch's egg. If you're lucky, sometimes witches will have one of them."

The blonde, mature-looking girl proceeded to show the two curious followers how it worked, and how precious it is, and threw it down a dark hallway afterwards.

"There's one more use in it. I'll share it with you… Homura Akemi."

_Dammit._

Her eyes were cold as ice.

"It was your prey. You should keep this for yourself." She said angrily, as she threw it back.

*bang*

_What the-_

**-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!-**

The airborne Grief Seed shattered into a thousand pieces, releasing a powerful shockwave accompanied by an unearthly, demoniacal scream of agony, which would bore through anyone's mind. The shockwave sent the girls flying across the hallway like lifeless ragdolls, causing them to land harshly in the cold concrete floor on the other side.

"Kaname-san, Miki-san, are you okay?"

"Auch… I'm okay… Madoka? Madoka!"

Madoka was out cold, lying against a pillar. As Sayaka ran to check on her, she saw what she feared the most: blood. She'd hit the wall with the back of her head, and was bleeding badly. A shiver ran down Sayaka's spine as she saw Madoka's uniform stained red, before she could cry out for Mami's help. Even a layman like her could see it was life-threatening.

"Madoka!" Homura shouted, as she hastily got up. She rushed to her, but an ominous thought crossed her head, that instant. She looked back at where they stood, and saw a large hole on the ground, surrounded by shards of shattered glass.

_No_. It could only mean one thing. And as her eyes focused back at their current location, she saw Mami running across the hallway, responding to Sayaka's calling.

There was no time to think.

There was barely any time to act.

She ran and dived towards Mami, throwing her to the ground, just a split second before a large bullet pierced her head, millimeters away from her Soul Gem's ring.

Mami screamed in agony, but she was aware enough to roll to safety, behind a pillar, which Homura also took cover behind.

"Mami-san!"

"Stay hidden!" Homura warned, in an imposing voice "There's a sniper outside!"

The name echoed through Sayaka's head like a church bell. _Sniper_. A concept associated with death and terror in faraway places, but never so close to home. Even if she did just witness her mentor fight a demoniacal being, she still wasn't fully aware of the dangers. However, she was well aware of the danger they faced now. And she was afraid. Very afraid.

"A-a sniper?"

Another bullet shattered a window closer to them, clipping the corner of the pillar they'd hidden behind. Glass shards flew in every direction, one of them piercing Homura's arm. She briefly let out a grunt of pain, but quickly removed the shard and threw it away.

"Yes. Sayaka Miki! Take care of them both. I'll deal with it."

"O-okay" Sayaka sluggishly answered "but- Uh?"

She'd vanish into thin air. To Sayaka's eyes, at least.

"She… she disappeared?"

* * *

><p><em>Don't leave me alone…<em>

* * *

><p><em>I can't waste any sand. Quick!<em>

Homura ran outside as fast as she could, aiming for the only building the shots could have come from. She released the time lock the moment she reached the building's dead angle, and hastily ran up the fire ladder.

She drew her Desert Eagle from her shield, took the safety off, and jumped up the last steps. Whoever it was, the bastard was going to have a shitty day.

*cling*

_Crap!_

A Claymore mine awaited an unfortunate soul at ladder's top. There was no time to activate her power. She plunged off the building, narrowly avoiding the deadly blast, grabbing and holding on for dear life on a ladder step mid-fall.

By the time she made it back up, it was too late. The rooftop was empty. She ran to the rooftop's edge, but all she was able to see was a shadow sliding down a downspout, and speeding away in a Kawasaki that waited at the bottom, leaving a large dust trail.

Chasing after would cost too much of her power. She'd lost.

She closed her eyes and cleaned the sweat from her forehead, taking a deep breath. A single sweat drop escaped, and unpleasantly slid down the back of her neck. She shook it off, and proceeded to investigate the rooftop. Apart from a few large-caliber bullet casings on the floor, there was only one thing worth noticing: a blood-soaked bandage. And it was fresh, still dripping.

_Blood again? It can't be… _

Her heart raced, and mind slipped back to the blood-soaked street from the day before. But what why was she getting worked up? It was just blood. _It's just blood._

With that thought, her heart eased, and her mind directed itself elsewhere.

_They aimed at the Grief Seed and Mami's Soul Gem. Whoever did this knows the truth._

…_What the hell is going on…_

* * *

><p><em>Don't worry...<em>

* * *

><p>"Ugh…"<p>

"Madoka, are you okay?" Sayaka asked, worried.

"My head… hurts…" Madoka said, still dazed, both by injury and the treatment.

"I've stopped the bleeding, but we should still take you to the hospital. I'm not used to healing humans, so I only cured the wound. You might have a concussion."

"But your hand…" Sayaka replied.

"It's okay." Mami answered, with her typical big-sister composure, while holding her pierced hand up and healing it with the other.

"I heal fast."

In the meanwhile, the surroundings had fallen silent, and crows atop the building, who had taken flight during the scene, could again be heard, craving for the night that drew nearer.

"…The shots have stopped. Is it safe?"

"Wait-

"Yes."

They turned around to see a returning Homura slowly walking up the stairs.

"It's safe."

"Ugh" Madoka tried to stand up, but nearly fell, being caught by Sayaka

"Oi, don't work yourself-

"Thank you, Homu-

"You two" Homura said, interrupting them both "have just witnessed how fleeting a Puella Magi's life can be. Your life could end in a flash, without having accomplished your dreams, without having fulfilled ay purpose, abandoning anything you hold dear, and"

She paused, and stared harder at Madoka.

"having brought no hope or salvation to the world or those close to you, if you so desired. In the worst case... you might even meet a fate far worse than mere death."

"Homu-

"Mami Tomoe." Homura called, as she turned to the blonde girl "You are seasoned in battle, and should know better than to mislead them into such a fleeting life. If you truly care for them, and not just for your selfish self, you should keep them away from these dangers. This is a battlefield: it was foolish of you to bring them here."

And with that, she walked away, leaving the girls with her thoughts.

Sayaka broke the silence. "What's her problem?"

"I don't know." Mami replied "But she is partially right. You must understand just how dangerous witch hunting can be. That is precisely why I brought you here.

Now come. I'll take you to the hospital."

* * *

><p><em><em>I'll stay with you…<em>_

* * *

><p>"Do you know Loveless' prologue?"<p>

**When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
>The goddess descends from the sky<br>Wings of light and dark spread afar  
>She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting<strong>

"It's a shame such a beautiful and true piece starts with such a huge lie.

But worry not. Whatever lies beyond this life, there is no need for a Goddess… I shall take you there."

* * *

><p><em>…forever.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote from: Loveless, the poem quoted here and on the prologue. It is actually real, albeit created in a fictional world, and I haven't quoted it entirely.**

**These chapters look a lot longer in Word :/ Well, I guess this is, for what I've seen, common to newcomers in FFN, but the auto-formatting does suck. I'd like to have more control of the spacing, but we have what we have.**

**Anyway, here it is. I have a feeling that this chapter will drive away quite a few people, and attract others. I certainly hope I'm wrong, on the first part, that is :P**

**I need to know one thing: what do you think of the graphicness on the first part? I'm not sure if it was too little, too much, or Goldilocks. I am experimenting different stuff as I go on, so feedback would be much appreciated.**

**Also, I am planning at least 10 chapters, but it is likely that it'll extend further. I have the main plot, ending, and a few pivotal points planned, but there are still gaps between them. Either way, don't expect me to keep this daily rhythm. I have one (and a half) more chapters ready, but then again, I did give quite the overhaul on this one post-doc upload, so yeah.**

**And of course, hope you enjoyed.**


	3. Superbia Ardens

_Where… am I…_

The girl was floating down a river of silky roses, in the middle of nothingness, in peaceful quietude. She did now know where she was, or why she was there, but it felt warm and comfortable. Several ethereal lights and surreal beings gave some light to the black sky, and she was amused to look at them. Wherever this place was, staying there forever would be... so good...

But her slumber was interrupted by a series of loud, fast beats, echoing in some sort of surface, though she could see none.

Tock.

Tock.

Tock.

They grew nearer and nearer, before suddenly stopping.

"… as quickly as I could…"

"...serious injury... she'll be okay…"

"...fell down the stairs... brought her here..."

"...thank god..."

…_Mom?_

As she slowly opened her eyes, the roses became pristine white sheets, the ethereal lights became lamps and windows, and the nothingness warped and colored itself to gain form and shape, that of beds, curtains, walls and ceilings, light and darkness, people and things. The first of which was a purple-haired woman who was leaned over the bed, so much that she almost fell on top of her.

"Is she waking up?" A familiar, tomboyish voice said.

A figure dressed in white approached, more, a lot more than she would want to, and cast a powerful, blinding light in her eyes, one at a time, using some sort of device.

"Concussion victims often slip between moments of dazed consciousness and sleep" The awkward man in white said "This is one of them. Her body needs to repair itself; I'll give her something to help her rest."

The girl felt something, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what or where. In a few moments, the hospital room started to fade again, to give way to the nothingness of before. Her head fell to the side, giving her a view of a window which was quickly becoming a cluster of starts. But before everything faded, she saw something outside, standing atop what looked to be a tall tree. An indiscernible figure, which now stood in the middle of the stars in her mind, glittering almost as much as the stars themselves, gracefully hovering in the dark skies far above her.

And unwittingly, she moved her lips, though her words were barely audible.

"Homura… chan…"

Her eyes closed again, and her mind again succumbed to the body, craving for rest to recover itself. She now slept peacefully, giving out an almost angelic aura of quietude to everyone in the room.

Shortly after she said those words, however, a sound, resembling a tree branch cracking, was heard.

"Huh? Is someone out there?"

"I don't see anyone. Probably just some bird, or a lost cat."

"Ladies, she is going to take a while to recover. Why don't you go outside for a bit of fresh air? I recommend the rooftop café, it has a great view of the city."

"We should stay-

"No, Mami-chan" Junko said "She is strong. She'll recover. And he wouldn't have liked us to stay here doing nothing. Come, I'll treat you two to some cake, for being such good friends to her."

_Cake?_

"Well, if you insist..."

"Speak of cake, and the whole deal changes, eh?"

"M-Miki-san! Don't say those sort of things!"

The other two women laughed happily, and, with the blonde slowly following while mumbling to herself, walked out of the room, leaving the girl alone with her dreams.

"Madoka…"

Another branch cracked, but there was no one left to hear it. The shadow that stood behind the tree looked at the sleeping girl with warm eyes, and retrieved a bullet casing from her pocket. She held it between her index and thumb, blocking the setting sun with the steel shell.

_I will discover what happened. I won't fail you._

* * *

><p>"My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I?"<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 2**

_**Superbia Ardens**_

* * *

><p>The opposite tall buildings they stood in provided a stark contrast, fitting their confrontation. An ancient, brick-layered factory in one side, long out of commission, and a glittering, brand new office building on the other. The bright bolts of lightning emitted by the active barrier, down in the alley in between, reflected on the crystal-clear glass from the former building, and back in her golden eyes, as she, standing atop the factory's chimney, watched the arriving figure land in front of her.<p>

"So, you came as well."

Her long, black hair floated ominously with the mild wind. With the full moon standing behind her, and her hair raised to her mid-back by the wind, she almost looked like a dark angel.

"I am merely after the witch. Your presence is irrelevant."

It was the first time she saw this barrier. It is true that a lot of things changed between the timelines she ran through, for no apparent reason, but she couldn't let her guard down, especially not with the weird events of late. Fortunately, this one did not seem particularly strong.

"I did not come here to fight you" Mami said, as she summoned a musket "but I guess it will be unavoidable. Step aside."

No one could have guessed those golden eyes of her could turn so cold in an instant.

However, it was no time for confrontation.

"As I said, I am merely after the witch. Whoever takes it down is not a factor. You can have it, if your heart so desires." Homura said,

"That was rather unexpected of you, Homura Akemi." Mami answered, without being able to disguise her surprise, behind the cold persona she was putting up.

"But very well. I sense someone, so I must hurry. God knows what will happen." Mami said, as she, musket in hand, prepared to jump.

However, just as she said that, Homura noticed something: a flash-green Kawasaki Ninja, lying against the wall at the bottom of the alley. Her pupils expanded to the edge of her eye.

"Wait!"

"I cannot."

"You will."

Homura suddenly appeared behind Mami, holding her at gunpoint. The blonde girl was shocked, but instead of dropping her musket, she tightened her grip on it.

"I'm sorry. I had a change of heart."

"You..."

"I must handle this one alone. If you wish for it that badly, I will relinquish the Grief Seed to you."

She then drove a hard chop to Mami's neck, knocking her unconscious.

_This ends tonight._

She dragged Mami's body from the dangerous chimney to the middle of the rooftop, drew a Howa Type 59 from her shield, and dove down to the alley, ripping the barrier open by slashing it with her arm.

The barrier was tall, and she had to land on her knee, falling from a few stories high. Almost instantly, she covered her face with her hand: the stench of oil and fumes almost made her want to puke. She resisted, however, took the safety off her assault rifle, and proceeded forward.

The witch's maze had countless tire tracks running through the walls and ceiling, some of them with fire trails on them, with asphalt spewed everywhere, emanating from tar pits who formed geyser-like jets, that arched over her heard. Fires lit up the dark hallways, randomly sparking and burning just as fast as they were put out by the strong wind blasts that could be felt occasionally. She navigated around these perils, and choose an uphill path at a crossroads ahead. A few racing helmets rolled down the road, while she was walking up: they were empty, through the visors, frightened, terrified eyes could be seen. Ominously, the visors were shut and padlocked.

As she reached the top of the hill, she heard an awkward sound. Homura instinctively aimed down the sights, and looked around for the source, rotating in the same spot. The sound repeated itself, but behind her, this time. And again. And again. It was everywhere.

Suddenly, a number of cabinets, stuck on the walls, slammed their doors open, releasing dozens of wheel-shaped creatures. They fell down to the ground and rushed through the asphalt at high speeds, setting it ablaze, burning their own rubber, intending on running over her. Their rims sprouted blades, and arms grew from their center.

Reacting instantly, Homura shot the tire of each and everyone one of them with pinpoint accuracy, puncturing them and sending them flying away in a silly fashion.

_Good._

But she wasn't done. A hole in the center of the ceiling opened, pouring out more wheels. She repeated the procedure, but instead of flying away, the creatures spun around, redirecting the air stream from the puncture to propel them downwards at ludicrous speeds.

Homura readied a pipe bomb, and dropped it on the ground in the last second, leaping over the wheels like a hawk and watching them incinerate in the funeral pyre provided by the powerful bomb. A couple of wheels escaped annihilation and chased her upwards, but she disintegrated them with two full-auto bursts.

_Done._

She briefly looked at the steel carnage left by her passage, and marched onwards, leaving the room infested by the intoxicating smell of burnt rubber, as if the regular stench wasn't enough. However, a now familiar sound made her turn her back: more wheels, though less than before, jumped from the road she had walked up, and ran towards her in a straight fashion. Relaxed, she shot the tires again. However, there was absolutely no effect. No slowdown, no change of direction.

_Run-flats?_

It was too late. She tried to dodge the impact, but hit in the chest by one of them, and was sent flying against a concrete wall at back-breaking speeds, leaving a body shaped hole in it. Now that was sure to leave a bruise.

_Heh_.

The wheel that hit her was fumbling around with one of it's hands, trying to catch something in its center. It finally caught it, and raised it high with its hand: a live grenade. Homura couldn't help but grin when she saw the gathered wheels be destroyed in that comical scene.

She stood up, cleaned off the concrete dust in her clothes, and with, finally, no enemies in sight, trekked forward.

_It's difficult without stopping time, but I can't afford to waste it. Let's go._

Running to the end of the long hallway, she reached a large galvanized steel door, blocking her way to what appeared to be an enormous garage. Without ceremony, she blew it to smithereens with a C4 charge, and marched through the cloud of smoke, dust and debris, reaching her final target: the witch that lied inside. It was a hideous, gigantic serpentine creature, made of what appeared to be a racing circuit, with cracks on the asphalt forming with every movement. And most symbolically, it possessed with a wrecked stock car for head.

Their eyes, or rather, Homura's eyes and the car's headlights met for a split second, which appeared to have lasted ages. Their exchange of cold glares ended with no apparent winner.

Homura's defiance was an insult to the proud witch. Angered, she spawned more wheels from a pit lane-shaped area in her chest. Homura engaged them again, puncturing their tires and blasting them away with explosives. But there was no end to them: they just kept coming and coming. And she had yet to see any evidence of what she longed to discover. She continue to ravage their ranks, piling up an impressive number of distorted beings on the floor, but without resorting to her power, her fatigue was accumulating.

Taking a dolphin dive to avoid a flying wheel, she failed to notice another one running in her direction, and was sent flying almost directly upwards. There was no wheel around to attack her, however.

But there was a 5 meter wide track of asphalt coming down on her.

Homura saw it in the corner of her eye, and just barely dodged it, safely landing on the ground next to the witch's long arm, sliding a few meters back. The wheels quickly engaged her again, but between the black rubber and silver rims dancing in front of her, she was able to see that witch did not lower it's arm for Homura alone. Two wheel-familiars were running up the witch's undulating arm, carrying a lifeless body. _A body._ And while they did so, the witch opened her mouth. Dinner was served.

_That's it! Time!_

She couldn't spare her power anymore. Homura pulled a FN Minimi from her shield, emptying the machine gun's ammo box on the frozen opponents, and took a high jump, restarting time immediately. The wheels were destroyed, but even more poured out of the walls, one of them landing right on her back, forcibly throwing her against the ground. She managed to turn upwards and land on one knee, ready to strike back.

However, she instantly noticed the floor was wet, drenched in a viscous, foul-smelling liquid. Perhaps by fear, she instantly looked forward, and saw a large oil drum leaking badly, having been pierced by a large-caliber bullet.

_Oh, fuck._

It ignited before she could even blink, causing an enormous explosion, which lit most of the battlefield ablaze. With her clothes on fire, she was sent flying by the massive shockwave. She broke through a steel garage door like a bullet, and crashed into the concrete wall inside, head first.

However, the spectacular explosion worked in her favor: most familiars were killed by the awe-inspiring blast, and no more were spawning, leaving the field clear to Homura, who, although wounded, got up and put out the fire in her clothes with a couple of hard slaps. But time was running out, the body was about to be eaten. She would never make it there.

_Ti-_

"Stay back!"

Homura's heart skipped a beat, as the body, which seemed lifeless up to the last moment, stood up and shouted in a loud and imposing voice. But most importantly, a _manly _voice.

_A-a man?_

Pulling two MP5Ks from his back with lightning-fast reflexes, the man annihilated both familiars with a full salvo from each, gracefully jumping upwards before what was left of them started falling down to the ground far below him. For a moment, it looked like the man was floating, exchanging looks with the massive creature that stood in front of him. The witch reacted quickly, firing dozens of engine parts and tools from her mouth in every direction, and caused a deep slash in his left arm, with a pinpoint screwdriver. Even though the man screamed in pain, he kept his eyes on the target, and unhooked his belt, loaded with grenades, and threw it down the witch's mouth with all the strength he had. As he fell down, massive explosions ignited inside the witch's serpentine body, putting her out of her misery. Homura could do nothing but watch in amazement.

However, the unforgiving gravity reminded both it was still there, and the man started falling faster and faster, his arm leaving a trail of blood in its wake. He was smiling. But he was falling from at least 10 meters high, and into the merciless flames.

Homura, who'd been watching in shock, leapt over the inferno, catching the man mid-air and landing on the other side, as the fiery barrier dissipated into the night sky.

She gave a good look at the young man lying in her arms, barely alive. _How is this possible?_

"T-thank you", the man said, with elaborate breathing, and coughing blood.

"But…

He drove a hard kick to her stomach, causing Homura to flinch momentarily, just enough for him to stand up and draw a Beretta 92 from his jacket.

"I cannot allow you to live." He could barely aim steadily "I'm sorry-

Homura prepared to stop time, but the man passed out: the bleeding on his left arm was too severe, soaking the cold concrete floor. She quickly made a tourniquet out of a piece of cloth torn from her skirt, and sensed his pulse: it was very weak. It wouldn't be long before he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Dammit, you're not going to die here! I need answers!"

She lifted the man's body over her shoulder, and picked up the Grief Seed, leaving it at a still-unconscious Mami's side, and rushed back to her apartment as fast as she could, ignoring the heavy rain that now fell on Mitakihara.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote from: Loveless, again.**

** Yup, definitely NOT keeping this rhythm from now on. Phew.**

**Well, I hadn't realized the pace of Madoka fics here at FFN. 6 new chapters in a single day is a bit overwhelming for me, but well, I guess trying to stand out among them that's just what's required from me. Not that I'm doing this for competition or anything, but I gotta say, It's quite the environment :)**

**I'm wondering if I need a beta reader. I don't believe my writing is bad, but considering English is not my first language, I might not be able to detect my flaws. **

**Gotta say this chapter is the one I like the most. Can't say it wasn't because I just love that witch, but I really enjoyed writing it. It wasn't the only reason, but the other one is reserved for later. And of course, ZE PLOT ZICKENS, so it's all good.**

**And a little extra, improvised on the spot:**

* * *

><p><strong>Danica: The racing witch. Her nature is speed. She has always lived at high speed, but cannot stop it even if she wants to, as someone will always be faster than her. She can only watch as her minions die racing against each other inside her barrier, and are reborn again in an infinite cycle. If one can stop everything from moving in her barrier, she will be thankful.<strong>

**Patrick: The racing witch's minion, it's duty is to race against his kind. He cannot stop racing, even if his master orders him to: it is his only reason for living, and he will certainly die if he stops.**

* * *

><p><strong>And, as always, hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	4. Quo Vadis

**"GAH!"**

"This is going to hurt. Hold still."

The man shook wildly, screaming in pain. Having woken up was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He was still bleeding badly, even squirting out at times.

The pain so intense that even his senses were numb, as he wasn't even able to notice the giant pendulum that slowly swung back and forth above him, nor the image panels that floated on the wall besides him, defying gravity.

All he could see was his savaged arm, and the young girl who was doing anything in her power to save him, despite having been held at gunpoint by him.

"It's not working!" Homura said, as she pushed aside the scrambled supplies form the first aid kit. "There's only one way. You… better hold on to something."

Having said that, she reached into her shield, and retrieved a welding blowtorch, and set it at minimum flame. The man gazed at her with frightened eyes, but complied and grabbed the side of the table he lied on, and bit down the neck of his jacked as hard as he could.

She had to cauterize the wound.

Carefully, she applied the flame to the wound, while the man screamed in agony, as if his very soul was being ripped off his body, from the indescribable pain of having one's flesh, muscle, blood and bone being burnt from the inside.

Fortunately, this last resort was successful. The bleeding was slowly staunched, leaving behind the foul smell of burnt flash.

Seeing her gamble was successful, Homura backed down, leaving the man some breathing room, to recover from that traumatic experience. She briefly sat in one of her benches, gazing at the man that lied, breathing heavily, on the center table. He was young. _Exceedingly_ young: he couldn't be much older than her. And he had just faced a witch face-to-face, and not only survived to tell the tale, but beat her in a spectacular fashion. And adding to the earlier events… she had a lot of questions for him. It was going to be a long night.

She allowed him to rest for about ten minutes. When the man's breathing finally eased, he tried to sit up, failing at first, but eventually succeeding.

"You're out of danger. Have you been hit else-

Her question was interrupted by a surreal sight. While sitting up, the man's right arm was exposed, and upon seeing it, Homura's eyes opened fully.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Wha-

**"ANSWER ME!**" She madly shouted "Or I will kill you were you stand!"

She had pulled out her Desert Eagle, and forcefully pressed it against the man's forehead. What she'd just see was unthinkable, for a second she thought it was just a product of her imagination. But it was very real.

In the middle of the man's bandage-wrapped right arm, rested a foreign object: a pointy, pitch-black jewel, embedded on the muscle.

* * *

><p>"All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 3**

_**Quo Vadis**_

* * *

><p>Her eyebrows were forced down by her forehead, nearly forming a V shape.<p>

"You have a Grief Seed in your arm. I assume you know what that means. Explain yourself. Or you will not leave this place alive."

As she said that, she placed her hand over the Grief Seed, index and middle finger pointing out, as if to gauge it out. The Soul Gem in her right hand glowed in a gloomy purple.

The man, who had been as calm as one could be in such a situation so far, was infuriated by this last action. His pupils dilated, his veins forced up against his skin, his fists clenched. His gaze could only be described as that of an assassin. Homura had by now pinned him down with her knee. Despite that, the man entered a near berserk-like state, shaking wildly beneath her, gaining a seemingly inhuman strength from his rage, as she had to use all her strength and then some to keep him still.

He opened his mouth, and shouted as loud as his lungs allowed:

"**DON'T TOUCH HER!"**

Homura flinched momentarily, and paid the price for it: she was thrown aside, rolling on the floor to the other side of the room. The man quickly stood up from the table, and after a moment's hesitation, made a run for the door. He knocked it down with a hard kick, just to find Homura standing on the on the other side, leaning against the wall.

He ran back into the apartment. There was no way out. He was trapped like a caged bird. But then, he saw a space between the bars in his cage. A window. He ran as fast as he could, but found himself falling all of a sudden. Homura had suddenly slammed him, and he was falling fast. With a last effort, he pushed the ground with both feet with all his strength, taking a diving jump to freedom. He flew for a few meters, crashing through the magnificent stained glass.

However, he wasn't counting on being on a second floor. He landed on his chest on the jagged asphalt, bruising him. However, he quickly got up and proceeded to run down the street.

* * *

><p><em>But...<em>

* * *

><p><em>Tsk…don't tell me…<em>

Homura watched the scene from above, by the broken window. She sighed.

…_I'll let him run. I won't get any answers from him in that state._

She allowed the man to gain ground, slowly following him. She knew those streets like the palm of her hand: there was nowhere for him to run.

But he did not run for long. He turned left at the intersection, reaching a dead end. Nonetheless, he proceeded forward: into a large church that stood at the end of the street. He could have turned right, or proceed forward, but he chose not to. The man wasn't running: he was making a stand. _Very impressive, _Homura thought_. _Realizing that, she again drew her Desert Eagle, checked her ammo, and entered the majestic cathedral.

There was no one inside at such a late hour, but the candles still burned, illuminating the nave. She slowly walked down the aisle, but her footsteps on the marble tiles echoed through the lord's house nonetheless. She kept searching for him, looking into the arcades, and between the unending rows of benches.

"One of us isn't getting out of here in one piece, am I right?"

The echo inside the large building made it impossible to locate where it came from. However, one could easily hear the exhaustion in his voice.

"You're already injured. You're in no condition to fight. Surrender."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, young lady."

Homura kept looking for the source of the sound, to no avail. It could have been coming from heaven or hell, it wouldn't matter.

"You see, surrender isn't in my vocabulary. I wouldn't be alive if it was."

"An unwise decision." Homura replied "But I concede that you are impressive. What you did back there was not for everyone. Not even for most Puella Magi. Who, no, _what_ exactly are you?

A small pause ensued.

"I'm a dead man. That is all you need to know." He said, in a grave tone.

"Dead men don't fight witches."

"Oh. But dead women do?"

_So, you know that too._

"That's kinda sexist, you know." The man replied with a smirk.

All that small talk wasn't getting Homura anywhere.

"I repeat: desist. We are in a place of worship. I do not wish to defile it. Come peacefully."

"Sorry, God doesn't seem to be here today."

_You're really going to force me to stop time, aren't you?_

"I thank you for saving me, and all, so please don't misinterpret this as ingratitude. But as they say in my neighborhood"

The man popped up from behind the altar with a fast movement, flicking the edges of finely crafted cloth that covered it. With his Beretta in hand, he aimed straight at Homura's hand, and to the large gemstone in its back.

"Go dance with the angels."

The bullet was dead on, but the target wasn't: he merely cracked a bench. Homura had stopped time to dodge, and now quickly ran around to catch him from behind.

Too bad she didn't notice the man was blindly aiming another Beretta backwards, with his other hand.

*bang*

"Ugh!"

Homura was shot in the right shoulder, and staggered for a second. But she did not stop. She threw her Desert Eagle aside, and readied a chop before the man could turn around and aim properly. By the time he did, she was too close.

"You shouldn't use the same trick twice!" The man shouted, as he dodged the hit by rolling over the altar, and threw his firearms aside as well. Slowly, they moved parallel to each other, maintaining the same distance.

Homura broke the deadlock, and went for a quick jab. He jumped backwards to avoid it, and readied a punch of his own. Homura caught it masterfully, and tried to wrestle him to the ground. The man landed on his feet, however, and tripped her. Homura was forced to somersault backwards to avoid crashing, creating some distance between them: they now stood in opposite sides of the center path.

"Not bad."

"My thoughts exactly."

They simultaneously rushed at each other, and caught each other's fists, being stuck in a deadlock. Their eyes met, further fueling the confrontation. The man tried to trip her again, but she was ready: she released her hold and moved to block the low kick. It was a feint, however, and as soon as she freed the man's right hand, she saw his fist growing larger and larger.

_Screw it._

"What the-

"Enough."

Homura stopped time, and easily caught him in a choke hold, squeezing his neck tightly with her forearm. The man tried to free himself, but was unsuccessful, and was now struggling to breathe. His arms slowly fell, and eventually he started to lose consciousness, from the oxygen deprivation.

"Please… don't let it end…like… this…"

Those were his last words, falling unconscious afterwards.

_Tsk._

Homura checked his left arm, and to her relief, the cauterized skin around the wound hadn't ruptured with the melee. After that, she placed him over his shoulder, bowed down to the altar in respect, not faith, and ferried him back to her apartment.

* * *

><p><em>...I'm just a burden to you…<em>

* * *

><p>"Ugh…<p>

_Where the fuck am I?_

This time, he did notice the floating panels and the hovering pendulum. But of course, that wasn't the most important right now. The priority was probably the girl who was in front of him, sitting down on one of the many benches that formed a circle around him.

Her Desert Eagle lied on the center table, along with the deformed bullet she had removed from her shoulder.

"This is one of those times" Homura said, as she crossed her legs "where you have to be very careful with what you say. Speak."

"As I told you, I'm just a dead man." He said, again in a grave voice "And so are you."

"I know that well."

She picked up the Desert Eagle, cocked it, and placed it back on the table.

"But I insist."

"Don't give me threats, young lady. You had plenty of opportunities to kill me already, and you didn't."

"That is only because I needed to speak with you. I did not forget that you tried to kill me as well. Nor that you stained my house with blood and broke my window. But most importantly, you severely injured a deep friend of mine. If you remain silent, I will not have mercy on you."

Her Soul Gem again glowed purple, and her eyes lost any shred of life in them. A truly terrifying sight.

"Tsk…"

"Since we're both dead, we have both the time and the opportunity."

Homura took a deep breath, before continuing.

"Not only do you Puellae and witches, you also know the truth about their real nature. So do I. Thus, you need not to withhold anything."

The man's eyes opened up. Homura was on the money here.

"And I wouldn't be incorrect if I said that the Grief Seed in your arm belongs to someone you treasured, would I?"

"Treasure. In the present."

"Fool. You know-

"I advise you not to go down that road. Else you will not hear another word from me, even if I have to die here."

"… very well."

The clash between their glares was almost enough to spark lightning. Eventually, the tension eased, and the man, after a sigh, started talking.

"I… haven't yet encountered a Puella who knew about the true nature of her existence. That her soul is no longer with her. That she is destined to become a witch. That she is… already dead, in essence. That is… you are the second. The first… is the one you see here." He said, clearly nostalgically, exposing his arm. Even having been told that she knew everything, he still expected a reaction: however, he got none.

_Damn, she is one cold bitch._

"If you know what Grief Seeds are" Homura continued "then having one embedded in you raises even more questions. I repeat my question: dead or not, just exactly _what _are you?"

"Me?" The man smirked.

"Young lady, I am nothing but a common human, made of flesh, meat and bones. _And soul_."

"If that is true, then you do realize that you are way in over your head, right? This endless conflict is no place for mere humans."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" The man calmly answered "That does not matter to me."

The man tapped his boots on the ground, first slowly, then faster and faster, as he talked. His expression was an unlikely mixture of nostalgia, happiness, and anger.

"Puellae Magi. Witches. Magic here and there, grief up the wazoo, Puellae losing their souls, in an unending battle. I know… you suffer a lot. More than your share."

There was not a hint of deception in his words: he truly sorry for the Puellae's tragic life.

"But below all that, there's the powerless beings. Us humans, at the bottom of the food chain, caught up and slaughtered in the course of our daily lives, with no mercy, and no chance to fight back. We can't count on you to protect us. Yet we cannot anything about it."

He clenched his fists. The small perked up smile in the corner of his mouth had disappeared.

"I cannot accept that. I know it is insanely dangerous, yet I cannot run away. You know well I am not the only human who knows about your world. Hell, there were at least two of them at that building." He said, not realizing immediately he had admitted to being the mysterious sniper.

"And how do you think they feel, being forced to stay on the sidelines while their loved ones fight unimaginable perils, and eventually perish? I simply couldn't do it, powerless or not, with a soul or without. I fight for mankind, and to put an end to your suffering… both yours, and the witches'…"

"… that is what she fought for, anyway…"

He ended his speech looking deeply at the Grief Seed in his arm. For all his foolishness, Homura could not interrupt nor deny him. What he had just said was correct in every way possible. There was only one thing she could say, at this point.

"Tell me… tell me about her."

* * *

><p><em>No… You're my only reason to live.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote from: Loveless. 3x combo engage.**

**Hmm. I'm wondering about chapter size. I see most authors around here prefer chapters with around 5, 6k words, while mine are around half of that. It's particularly noticeable in this chapter, seeing as their conversation is cut in half (well, not really, but you'll see), but somehow it felt better this way. Maybe it's just my style to make short, enjoyable (well, at least I try to :P) chapters, but since I'm the one off the standard here, I wonder if I'm just doing it wrong. Please, tell me what you think on that.**

**I took a bit of time off, and read some of the hottest Madoka fics of the moment. And well I have to agree, it's going to take a humongous amount of talent and effort to stand out among them. As I said, it's not like this is a competition (well, just sorta :P), but when I see the masterful works around here, it only motivates me to do better and better :) In the end, all success and luck have to be earned.**

**Either way, I think by now you can see where this is going. I really like the plot I've created, and I just hope my writing can live up to it.**

**And, as always, hope you enjoyed :)**


	5. Casus Belli

"Mom! Mooooooooom!"

The girl ran blissfully through the long hallways of her house, still with her school bag in hand: she was in too much of a hurry to care about anything else. She carried her report card in her right hand, fully extended, as if to show it to the entire world, and was eager for her mother to take pride in it.

Even their koi fish seemed to join her celebration, by happily jumping high over their pond in the garden outside.

"Moooom! M-

Having failed to find her in the main living room, she ran to their parent's bedroom, freezing before the door. From inside, a loud, weeping sound from could be heard.

Her mom was crying. Heavily. The girl's happiness was immediately swept away, and replaced with sadness. She unwittingly left the report card fall for the ground, and stood there, looking into the wooden floor.

Then, she was suddenly hugged, and quickly pulled to the side.

"Come on, now. I'll make you some toast." A familiar voice said.

"Dad… dad's on a mission again, isn't he?" She replied, while dragging her feet, back along the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Mom always cries when he's on a mission…"

"You know you shouldn't worry about that. He's the strongest man in the world: nothing bad can happen to him. He'll come back, always."

With a clang, the toaster launched two large loafs of bread into the air, both perfectly toasted.

"I know that, but…" The girl leaned against the fridge. "Mom just can't deal with it. I know he'll be alright, but I just can't see mom like that. I just can't do it, bro."

"I understand her." He said, while asking, with hand signals, if her sister wanted butter or jelly. She pointed to the former.

"She loves him to death. It's only natural to be worried sick about him, after all. It's not like his line of work is safe, you know. Mom knows he's strong, but… she just can't help it."

"If only he stayed at home longer…" The girl replied, after being handed her toast

"Siz abut zime he rezired-

"Uh?"

*gulp* "Sorry. I said it's about time he retired, but he is too dedicated to his duty and his comrades. I reckon it'd take a miracle for him to come home for good, Rika…"

"A miracle, huh?" Rika questioned, while looking up to the skies, through the glass ceiling.

"I wonder…"

"Uh?" The sudden confidence in his sister's eyes intrigued him.

"Oh, don't mind me, just daydreaming!" She answered, slightly embarrassed, but with a large smile on her face.

* * *

><p>"The moment we stop dreaming is the moment we start dying."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 4**

**_Casus Belli_**

* * *

><p>A slow, cool breeze could be felt, gently gliding through her hair, and waving her skirt. Which was weird, given that all she saw in front of her was cake.<p>

_…wind? There shouldn't be wind inside… _

Neither would there be cars passing around. But she heard them nonetheless.

_Something's off…_

*plock*

_What was that?_

She now finally lazily opened one of her eyes, in order to see what the hell was going on. Even though there was still nothing in front of her other than cake.

…and the first thing she saw was a rather large pigeon dropping right in front of her. And it was _very _fresh.

"Ahhh!"

She clumsily crawled back, getting away from it in disgust. What she didn't expect was being on top of a tall office building, and not inside her comfortable bed. She nearly fell off, stopping just short of the edge in a strike of luck.

"…what the hell?" Unwittingly, she vocalized her thoughts, still very sleepy.

She tried to stand up, but her hand slipped in some object, and she fell on her butt. She looked for the object, and for some godforsaken reason, it was a Grief Seed that just happened to be lying there, in the middle of the rooftop.

And then it finally hit her. She wasn't quite sleeping at home.

_Oh, fuck you, Akemi-san._

* * *

><p><em>But… what will happen to you…<em>

* * *

><p>The man was by now resigned to tell his tale. It's not like it mattered to him anymore. In the end, one of them would be dead. And by the way things were going, that was likely to be him. Plus… even though he knew it was better left untold, he had long subconsciously wished to vent everything out. To let at least one person know…<p>

"We… both grew up in here. We had kind and loving parents, but most of the time we lived only with our mother. Our father could rarely come home: he was a Portuguese Special Forces operative, and thus had to stay overseas throughout the year, on standby or in mission. But we all loved him nonetheless, and admired him for his dedication. He was a good and kind person."

These were details Homura did not need nor care, but she understood the need to tell them. She resisted a yawn, and kept her perfect composure.

"He was a decorated soldier, one of the finest this world has ever seen. We knew he would always come back to hug us, no matter the danger. But our mother... her love was too grand. She had friends in his unit, and sometimes she'd force them to tell her if he was in mission, even though he didn't want to let her know. And when she knew he was in mission… she just cried her heart out. And we were saddened by it… but there was nothing we could do but to try to comfort her."

"But then…"

He perked up a smile.

"…it happened. He suddenly came home. For good. He'd been appointed a special liaison with the JSDF, and thus he would stay here, away from the battlefields. We rejoiced. Our mother cried again, but this time they were tears of joy. But Rika… I'd never seen her so happy. It was as if she'd been born again...

By now, his expression had widened, his frown had opened, and his voice had changed. If one ignored his wounds, he no longer looked like a soldier with years of strife behind, and his young age could truly be seen. Though he was very tall for the common teen, it was clear he wasn't much older than his interlocutor.

"And those were the best days of our lives…"

Even though it was the first time she'd heard it, Homura felt like she knew that story all along. So far, it was a completely textbook example.

"But something was off. She kept showing up late, and she was often distracted: it was clear she had something going on. She hadn't joined any club that I knew of: but then again, it's not like I tagged along with her friends or anything.

"One day, however…"

* * *

><p><em>Don't worry about me…<em>

* * *

><p>He knocked lightly on the wooden door, worrying the inhabitant of the room might be asleep. No response.<p>

"Rika, are you in there?" He asked, in a normal tone "Mom says she left her cell phone in your bedroom."

"I-I'm in the bathroom" A voice from afar said "Just go in and take it."

He entered her room, and after briefly looking around, he found the pink cell phone on top of her bed. He picked it up, and left the room, closing the door with a creak.

"Got it." He said.

But as he was walking away, he heard a branch cracking, probably from the tree outside her room. He was immediately suspicious: he wasn't sure that the voice he heard had come from the bathroom, either. He immediately drew the Beretta 92 pistol his father had given him. Young or not, the son of a commando must know how to defend himself, after all.

And he was correct: he heard her window slide. Someone was weaseling in. He waited a second, then charged through the door. And was he saw left him dumbstruck: the intruder was a girl dressed in a highly stylized outfit, which looked like the perfect blend of a tactical outfit with a ball room dress. They stood there for around half a minute, looking at each other, without being able to make a movement or say a word. It was only then that he realized that the girl behind that dress was _his sister._

His lips started moving, opening wide, but no words came out. He babbled for some time, after which he slowly closed the door, turned to her, and, while shaking his index finger, asked:

"Rika, y-you might want to explain me why you're dressed like some military magical girl."

His usually strong voice was trembling. On the other hand, _his whole sister_ was trembling.

"Or why you're holding _a giant fucking flamethrower._"

If her eyes got any wider, they would have probably popped out of her eye sockets. She eventually calmed down, and sat down on her bed, indicating to his brother to sit beside her. And she started talking faster then he'd ever heard her talk, releasing a flurry of weird information, that she was a Puella Magi, that she fought something called witches… He was puzzled, but he understood the main point: she used her powers to fight evil.

"But… why you?" It was the first thing he was able to say, after the confusing explanation.

"Well… for accepting the task, I was granted a wish. And I... I wished for dad to come home."

He closed his eyes, and thought about everything he had just hears. His younger sister had committed herself to fight evil, to defend the inhabitants of her city, and in the process she had also managed to reunite their family. These thoughts were too strong for him: tears started to roll down his eyes. He hugged Rika affectionately, as he was at a loss of words. There was nothing he could say that would measure up to the happiness he felt at that moment.

But regardless, there was something he needed to tell her, and that she must know.

"I'm so proud of you."

* * *

><p><em>But… But I…<em>

* * *

><p>""I'm so proud of you." That was all I was able to say…<p>

He looked up to ceiling for a second, watching the sickle-like pendulum gloomily going back and forth, in unending motion.

"We inherited our father's ideals: thus, we have a strong sense of justice. When she became a Puella Magi, she effectively embodied that."

"Those are fleeting-

Homura tried to interrupt him, but he was expecting it.

"No. They aren't. They were my father's reason to live. They were our family's reason to leave. They are _my_ reason to live. No matter how much it may hurt, I cannot, and I will not, let those ideals die, even I see those I hold dear perish."

"…And from the look on your face, that is exactly what you did, isn't it?"

Homura bit her lip and turned her head to the side, angered, letting out a silent grunt. _Gotcha_, he thought.

"Anyway, she started to tell me things about her life. How her powers worked and how she fought witches and stuff like that. I figure, no, I know it must have been a relief to be able to freely talk about it with someone. I kept it hidden from our parents, of course: God knows how they would react, especially our mom."

"At some point, however, I noticed something: her usually contagious smile had a hint of deception on it. Not much, but it was noticeable. I figure she was suspicious about something, as that always happened when she thought something was wrong. I didn't knew what it was, but I didn't pressed it: she was the smartest person I know of, brilliant even, and she would find out what it was, no matter what."

Again, he took a deep breath, and looked away from Homura's cold eyes.

"And she did."

* * *

><p><em>No… don't think about it.<em>

* * *

><p>"Ready?"<p>

He pulled out the magazine from his SCAR-H rifle, checked his ammo, and slammed it back in, pulling back the charging handle afterwards.

"Locked and loaded, dad."

He stepped up to the closed gates, which lead into the training course. His father gave a knock on his helmet, and climbed the ladder to the control room, manning the switches and the microphone.

"On 3, 2, 1, go!"

The gates slammed open, and he ran into the course. A burglar-shaped target immediately popped in front of him, and he drove a shot right to its head. He proceeded forward, and gunned down two others that appeared around the corner.

"You're doing great!" His father said, over the microphone.

_Let's see how you handle this._

He went around another corner, and into an open area, with windows. Several targets popped up on them, moving to the sides. However, that did not hinder him, and he shot them down accurately nonetheless. He quickly reloaded the rifle, and proceeded forward, to a narrow hallway.

_Not bad at all._

Suddenly, the lights went out. He quickly equipped his night-vision goggles, and slowly walked forward. Suddenly, several cardboard figures appeared. He immediately aimed at them, but his index finger stood still: they took the form of old ladies and children, while a single bandit moved about behind them. Keeping his cool, he shot the bandit, after which all targets went down, revealing the exit at the end of the hallway. The lights came back on, and he ran to the exit, with a large smile in his face.

"Great shooting, son!"

_Okay, one last test._

Just as he reached the exit, a single target emerged from the ceiling behind him, upside down. With lightning-fast reactions, he drew his pistol while turning around, and drove a single shot to its chest.

With an even larger smile in his face, he looked up to the control room, and pointed his index finger at it in a whip-like motion. His father climbed down, took off his helmet, and messed around with his hair.

"Very good, son! Not even I could do that well!"

"Ah, shut up. You could do that with one hand, in a rollercoaster, and while pepper sprayed."

"Hmm… come to think about it, yeah, I could. What about you, wanna try?"

They were both silent for a second, bursting out laughing afterwards, and they walked, side by side, out of the training area.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, Rika appeared, to the surprise of both of them. She was in an absolutely miserable state, full of small cuts and bruises, and looking sadder than they'd ever seen her.

"R-Rika? Shouldn't you be at your friend's house? What happened to you?"

"I'm okay, dad." She said, clearly faking a smile "Can I just talk to my brother for a second, in private? It's urgent."

Their father took a bit, but eventually relinquished his questions, and allowed them. Rika quickly dragged his brother to a janitor's room two hallways away, while he wondered what had happened. He knew she had spent the night out fighting witches, but that was common now. What had happened this time?

Just as they entered the room, Rika burst into tears. She cried more than he had ever seen anyone cry. Tears of pure agony.

"R-Rika, tell me, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm..

She could barely articulate her words, between her sobbing.

"Witches are... witches are Puella Magi!"

"What?"

"The-the bastard that turned me into this" She was more angered than sad, when she said this "he put our _fucking actual living souls_ inside this piece of crap, and… and…

...and when we use too much magic, we turn into witches!"

_No… this can't be happening…_

"Everything I worked for, everything I fought for… It's all for nothing, if I turn into a witch and kill everyone I saved!"

_Please… this can't be happening…_

He was in utter shock, and though he wanted to say something, his lips couldn't move. He tried to lean her against him, get her to cry on his shoulder, but she refused.

"Brother… I don't want to become a witch…There is only one way out…"

With both hands, she grabbed the muzzle of her brother's rifle, and pointed it at her Soul Gem, hanging on a necklace right above her heart.

"…Kill me."

_Kill me._

_ Kill me._

_ Kill me. _

His sister's voice echoed through his brain, causing him so much pain that he nearly wanted to blow his head off. How could he kill his own sister?

"I-I can't-

"Kill me! **KILL ME!**"

Despite his efforts, she kept weeping helplessly, as if her soul, as if her very source of life was crying.

And it was.

Everything went quiet, for a moment. The universe stood still, as if god himself had pressed a cosmic silence button. He blinked. And when he opened his eyes, he was in an alternate dimension, full of ruins, bomb craters and barbed wire, with his sister dead at his feet.

"Rika? **RIKAAAAAAA!**"

He screamed as loud as his lungs allowed, trying to get her to wake up. When he finally stopped, he gazed upwards, and saw something that couldn't possibly be true. Something that froze his soul when he saw it. In front of him, stood a witch. He had some of them before, but this one was different. It had neither neck nor head. But it had a helmet. A combat helmet, with a large bullet hole on it, with his father's name and rank on it.

It was a good luck charm their father had given Rika. It could only be her.

"Rika… no…"

The witch in front of him held a giant bayonet in its hand. He looked at it, as if trying to reach out to her through eye contact, but that was impossible: she possessed no head.

Mercilessly, the witch raised its hand, and brought the bayonet down on him. He ran and jumped to dodge it, successfully so. It was an unconscious reflex: his mind had slipped away. The bayonet burrowed into the ground, bringing down a ruined building that stood in front of him. Luckily, it didn't fell on him, but flying debris caused a cut in his right arm. It was deep, but small, and not serious.

But he couldn't feel any of this. One could have amputated him and he would not move a muscle. He could merely witness, empty, as the creature in front of him spelled his doom. But it was not fated to happen just yet. The witch's barrier expanded, engulfing most of the training facility. She turned around as soon as another victim was reeled in to the alternate dimension.

Their father.

He finally snapped out of it.

"Dad! Run!" He shouted out of his lungs.

But it was too late. Not knowing what was happening, his father could only watch, as the witch, his own daughter, thrusted her bayonet against him, impaling him. He was stuck in the blade for a few seconds before falling off, still alive, nearly sliced in half, helplessly trying to breathe. But the only thing that entered his lungs was his own blood.

Seeing her sister murdering his father was too much for him to handle. He still had his rifle with him, and he aimed at her. He pulled the trigger, and did not let go of it until he emptied the cartridge, screaming in a way that was more appropriate of animals than men while he did so. The witch staggered: those bullets packed quite a punch. He reloaded the rifle, and again fired everything he had at her. And again. And again. And again. By the time he was done, he couldn't even hold his right arm up, exhausted from the tension firing a large-caliber rifle with no pause, especially with the wound he had suffered, and he dropped the rifle. The floor around him was filled with 7.62mm shells.

And the witch was… dead. Her whole body had been pierced to the point where there was barely anything left between the holes, and the ground was filled with a green liquid that spewed out of them.

He had survived.

But as the ruined barrier dissipated, and the training facility rematerialized, he snapped out of his battle trance, and again realized the tragedy of the situation. His father was dead, gone without a trace, as his unrecognizable body had been left within the barrier; and his sister's body laid lifeless on his shoulder, while her soul had turned to the darkness.

He couldn't take it.

He sat there, empty, crying his heart out before Rika's dead body, having laid it on the ground. It was too much for him to handle. With his whole body shaking, he pulled out his Beretta, and pressed the muzzle against his temple. His index trembled, applying just enough pressure on the trigger not to fire it, as he prepared himself.

_Forgive me…_

*cling*

He was about to join his father when an object fell in front of him. A steel jewel, with a prominent edge, and a dark core, adorned with a small balance scale. It was what Rika called a "Grief Seed". A witch's egg.

_A witch's… egg…_

"Rika… is it… you?…"

He closed his hand around it, and brought the hand to his forehead. Maybe it was from just having hatched. Maybe it was because he was so close to it. Maybe it was because they were brother and sister. But he could feel pulses coming from the Grief Seed. Pulses of pain and angst.

His sister wasn't dead. She was alive, and suffering.

A sudden urge to hug her, to comfort her, to rid her of her pain ran through his body. He couldn't. But he was his older brother. It was his responsibility to be there for her. The Beretta fell to the ground: his job wasn't done yet. He was barely functioning, and wasn't thinking rationally at the time. Who would, anyway… But he had to at least try to ease her suffering. Somehow. Anyhow. On a whim, he simply shoved the Grief Seed in the wound in his right arm, screaming in pain as he did so. Amazingly, it was a near perfect fit, and it sealed the wound.

He could now feel her anguish inside him, as if they were his own. The first pulse dwarfed the pain from the wound, causing him grab his head with both hands. They eventually lowered in intensity, but did not subside. But it didn't matter to him. He had been able to take away some of her pain, and that was enough to, despite everything that had happened, give him some relief.

With his left hand, he picked up his SCAR-H, and put the bandolier around his neck, standing up afterwards. He did not know where he was going. But he knew he was going somewhere.

* * *

><p><em>All my life, I wanted to fight for a cause…<em>

* * *

><p>"I should have died that day. But I didn't. I buried her body, and dragged my wounded body out of there. I don't remember wellwhat happened next. I only remember I wandered the streets for days, maybe weeks..."<p>

His face was a mirror of his words: there was barely any life in his eyes.

"My mom… when she heard the news, she hanged herself. She couldn't take it, having her daughter dead and both her husband and son missing and presumed dead as well… I had nowhere else to return to. It was just me… me and Rika…"

"One day, I went back to her grave… and her Grief Seed started pulsating strongly again. I had gone there before and that didn't happen. Wouldn't you know, it was another witch, a small one. I guess they're drawn by pain and anguish, the fucking vultures. I had a fit of rage: how dare it defile the resting place of her body. I used the remainder of my ammo and just fucked that little thing. Turns out it wasn't a witch… it was what you call a "familiar"."

"But it made me realize. It made me realize my purpose. I couldn't run away. I couldn't live my life like that. I was able to take away some of my sister's pain, but I couldn't turn a blind eye on the girls that suffered in this world, nor to the innocents that suffered from this constant war of attrition. It was not what my father taught me. It was not what she wanted. I couldn't run away any more. My father kept a huge weapons cache, just in case: and he had given me the key, for an emergency. I transformed it into my base, and set out to hunt down witches. To put them out of their misery, to spare the burden to Puella Magi, and to stop innocent casualties, no matter how much it took. Even if I'm a mere powerless human. Even if I'm fighting against destiny itself."

The determination in his eyes as he said this was unquestionable: it even surprised Homura to see someone this headstrong. She hadn't seen someone like that since… since the old Madoka…

"But I knew I also had to stop things… at the source."

He now looked down, still with a glint of determination in his eyes, but overshadowed by shame.

"I am a fighter, not an executioner. I tried to kill Puellae several times, but… I couldn't pull the trigger. I kept seeing my sister in them… it was only recently that I finally gained the courage to do it. And it was on that building… I'm sorry for your friend. I didn't even know anyone else would be there, I was just expecting the blonde girl."

Homura saw his concluding tone, and realized it was the time to ask the questions she'd been itching to know the answer to. She was thoroughly impressed with the story she'd just heard, to see someone overcome so much strife.

"For how long have you been doing this?"

"Heh… I lost count… probably half a year…"

_Half… a year…?_

"If you're just a common human, as you say you are, you should have died long ago."

The man smirked. He stood up, and put his hands in his jacket, only for Homura to point her weapon at him again. He raised one of the hands, and moved the other slowly, taking the jacket off, and subsequently his t-shirt. Homura couldn't believe her eyes: he was more bandage than man. She could barely see any of his skin unscathed.

"Probably." He replied. "You girls pay your effort with our souls. Mine is safe, but I have to pay my effort with my body."

"… the blood on Akagi Street two days ago?"

"Yeah…" He pointed to his lower ribs "That one still stings. I still can't believe I made it out of there. That thing was nasty."

Homura again looked at his right arm, as the Grief Seed was now clearly visible. It wasn't a terrifying sight: in fact, it blended quite well, just like the Soul Gem in her hand, when transformed.

"How do you even get into their barriers?"

The man sat down again.

"As I said, when I'm close to witches, it just starts flashing like crazy. I guess those who suffer the same pain can see and understand each other better… Anyway, I generally just let myself be caught. Witches are greedy: I'm usually taken to them right away, and I just jump on them like you saw earlier. If I have to deal with their familiars on top of them, god knows what will happen…"

"Of course, if they try to give me a smooch, I have no choice but to go balls out. My father didn't raise a weakling."

Homura resigned herself on that matter. Regardless of his words, tactics and strength, _he should not fucking be alive_, it was almost insane to think a mere human could do what he did. But pressing the point would not help, and he did not appear to have been deceitful. He did honestly talked like a man who was about to die, and had nothing to lose.

"One last thing: you say your soul is safe, but witches are the embodiment of corruption: they live to kill and taint others' souls. How can you say yours is safe?"

The man bowed his head down. Even men who are about to die take something with them to their graves. But, again, what did it matter? He carefully unwrapped the bandages around the Grief Seed, revealing, below the wounds, cuts and burns, a patch of grey, lifeless skin.

"As I said, you girls pay with your soul: I pay with my body. Young lady, I am rotting."

_Rotting?_

"It started some time ago, and it's spreading through my arm. I don't know how much time it will take to spread further, but I know that I won't live long like this."

She would have told him "take off the Grief Seed", but she knew it was useless. He would have never done it. He had already decided on his life course, and not even the threat of the grim reaper would make him back down.

_Just like me, uh?_

"Well, that's it." The man said, while rising up again. "Now, young lady, you need to decide what's going to happen here. If you let me leave, we're likely going to end up clash again, so you might want to kill me right here and now. "

_Will you stop calling me that?_

"Though if you choose the latter, I'm sorry, but I'll probably make a number on your apartment before dying."

Homura pondered her options. He was indeed a big liability. Killing him right there would certainly be the safest choice: she had her plan for this attempt already set up, and he could be a big clog in the machine. However… this could also be an opportunity. She could gain an ally if she chose her words carefully, and this one didn't come with the drawback of possibly turning into an eldritch abomination. If she could appeal to his foolish sense of justice, and get such a determined soul fighting alongside her, she could increase her chances of success…

_I'll do it._

"Do you know what Walpurgisnacht is?"

"The gathering of witches in northern Europe?

"I think you can figure out what it means in the context of _our _witches."

He rolled his eyes.

"…Oh, crap."

"Indeed. It is a huge, massively powerful witch that does not even need a barrier: it moves freely in this world, causing destruction at will. It's simple appearance will leave thousands dead. And I have information that it will appear in this city in a month's time."

The man shook: that was a terrifying thought. But he had no reason not to believe her at this point. And furthermore, he realized where she was getting at.

"Everything you fight for will be destroyed if we cannot stop it. I… I can beat it on my own, but I need all the help I can get to shorten the fight: the longer it prolongs, the more lives will be lost."

_Okay, you can't beat it alone. I understand it's difficult to admit it, but you don't need to blatantly lie to me._

"And you want me to help you with it?"

"Not only. As you know, there are other Puellae Magi in this city, and I will need them as well. But I cannot be everywhere at the same time, and their survival is always uncertain. So I ask you: become their guardian angel. Protect them, until the time for them to fight comes. Then you can kill them, kill me, it won't matter anymore. But until then, I ask you, spare them. Save them."

_Didn't thought I could pull cheesy crap this well._

To further strengthen her claim, she put her Desert Eagle away.

_Trying to reel me in with cheesy crap? You don't believe a single word of what you just said._

_…but you're also not wrong._

"I… need time to think about it. Until a minute ago, I didn't thought I was leaving this place in one piece. And I can't promise I'll deliver the answer you're looking for."

"One can never be sure of that. I was aware of it when I asked. But you're not shooting at me: I take that as a positive sign."

The man put his t-shirt and jacket back on, and prepared to leave.

"How do I find you?"

"Be outside Mitakihara Middle School at midday."

"Okay" He said, as he walked past her. "And… whatever happens, know that I wish you the best of luck against Walpurgis."

Homura escorted him to the door. As he opened the door, she asked him one last thing.

"I need to know… what's your name?"

"I once had a name. But as I said, I'm just a dead man now."

"So am I. But that is no reason not to have a name to be called for."

She extended her right hand.

"I'm Homura Akemi. What should I call you?"

And for the first time, he exhibited a large smile, without being purely nostalgic. He extended his hand as well, and shook hers with vigor.

"Kazuhira. Kazuhira Brito."

* * *

><p><em>And now, that wish came true...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: myself. It's kinda my motto, and a guideline for my life.**

**In the end, it was a good decision to separate these chapters, since this one ended up being quite lengthy. ****Either way, I am quite happy right now. Not only I got this done, but I got to watch what is probably the best game trailer of the last years, Ace Combat Assault Horizon's E3 trailer ^_^**

**Oh, and kudos to whoever gets the smartass detail in his name.**

**Important note: I am kind of a gun nut, and I will be referring to several weapons during this story. I understand that not everyone is as familiar with them as I am, so I will describe those that need a detailed description.**

* * *

><p><strong>The SCAR-H is a relatively recent weapon, manufactured by Belgium's FN Herstal. It entered a competition to replace the aging M4 carbine and M16 rifle along with other rifles, but despite attaining better results, neither was adobted. However, the United States Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, has adopted the rifle, and it is in service with one of its units, the 75th Regiment, commonly known as the Rangers. It comes in two variants: the SCAR-H, for heavy, is used here, and fires the more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, while the SCAR-L, for light, fires the better known 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, commonly used in western assault rifles.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Balalaika: The soldier witch. Her nature is justice. She walks through an unending battlefield, rendering judgment on those she encounters, in an attempt to end the eternal war she lives in. However, her justice only brings about vengeance, further unbalancing the scale of justice.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>And, as always, hope you enjoyed! (yes, this is my thing)<strong>


	6. Phoenix Ex Cineribus

She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.

She wasn't sure about them at first, but after everyone complimented them, she really took a shine to them. They had not only become part of her style, but part of herself: she just didn't feel right without them.

So having to take off her ribbons and her twin tails because of the bandages wrapped around her head made her really uncomfortable. As if the itching wasn't enough. Fortunately, the bandages were well hidden below her straightened hair, but it made her uneasy to have to wear her hair like that, and she feared for her colleague's reactions.

Of course, that was just her common lack of self-confidence, as she was complimented the moment she stepped into the park.

"Oh, Madoka, your hair looks great!"

"Y-you really think so? I liked my tails better… Eh!"

Sayaka hugged her from behind in a surprisingly fast movement, catching her off guard.

"You look so cuuuuuute! Every boy is going to be after you today, but I'm not letting you go!" Sayaka said, in a drawn out voice.

"How are you feeling, Madoka-san?" Hitomi asked, in an heated tone, uncommon of her collected self. She was quite worried about Madoka, as she didn't even take note of what Sayaka was doing with her in the middle of the park, or how she was trying to escape Sayaka's embrace.

"Are you feeling well? Does it hurt?"

"I still get dizzy sometimes, but its fine." Madoka said, resigned to Sayaka's strong grip. "I was tired of sitting in bed, plus the doctor said I should catch some fresh air. So long as I don't think too hard in class, its fine."

Her frown had turned upside down by the time she finished her sentence. Despite her nonsense, if there was one thing Sayaka was good at, it was cheering people up.

However, among the ruckus, she noticed a weird object, leaning against the bench the two girls were setting in while waiting for her: a wooden baseball bat. Sayaka's. She had never brought it to school before. Madoka had a sneaky suspicion why that was, but she decided to ask it anyway.

"Sayaka-chan, why did you bring your bat to school?"

When asked, Sayaka let go of her.

"I… err…"

"Sayaka-san said she is going to join the softball team" Hitomi answered for her "right?"

"Right, right!" Sayaka replied, with a visibly forced smile. "I'm gonna hit a home run for Madoka every game!"

Both Hitomi and Madoka noticed her forced expression, but decided not pressure Sayaka, and they departed to school.

However, Madoka wasn't satisfied.

_"Sayaka-chan, you're not really joining the softball team, are you?"_

Asking through telepathy would be the only way she would be able to confirm her suspicion. At least while Hitomi was there.

_"No... It's just that, after what happened the other day, I don't really feel safe… I know it won't do much, but at least it gives me some peace of mind."_

_"A sniper attack in Mitakihara… who would have thought… I was so scared…"_

_"Madoka, you know it probably wasn't just a sniper attack like those you see in America. They blew up the Grief Seed and tried to hit Mami…"_

_"Do you think it was… another Puella Magi?"_

Sayaka paused for a second.

_"Probably. It would make sense, if what Mami said about competition is true. Although, in that case it was weird for that transfer student to help us… I always figured she was most likely to be the one shooting…"_

_"She saved us there, Sayaka. You should really be thankful…"_

_"I know, but… I just can't trust her completely yet."_

Unwittingly, Sayaka made a weird face when she thought this, which Hitomi noticed. She had to dismiss it as having remembered a bad memory.

_"Anyway, you need to realize this, Madoka: they were probably trying to hit Mami, but regardless of who their target was, now we're involved in this. There's no way back. And we can't rely on Mami to protect us all the time…"_

_"Sayaka-chan, you're not thinking of-"_

_"I don't want to, for now. But if it comes down to it, I'll do it."_

Sayaka was as serious as Madoka had ever seen her. She noticed Madoka's curious look, and immediately broke her serious face.

_"After all, I can't let anything happen to my wife!"_

_"__Oh Sayaka, come on…"_

* * *

><p>"There is no future for the bystander, as there is naught he can defend."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 5**

**_Phoenix Ex Cineribus_**

* * *

><p>"Ssssss- Dammit!"<p>

He might have been though, but you can go around and look for the toughest man in the universe, and you won't find one that won't flinch when you pour down pure alcohol down his wounds, even after having taken a shower.

Kazuhira shook his arm, trying to ease the burning feeling from his arm, but not violently enough to rupture the wound again. It had been bad enough before: that bloody screwdriver from that car-wreck witch had sliced his ulnar artery; he would have bled out in ten minutes, maybe less.

And even then, there was the ten meter fall and the flames below him… if it hadn't been for her… No matter the way he put it, he owed her his life. Even if he kept claiming he was just a dead man.

_But whatever the case, this Walpurgis thing changes the whole deal… If it is as powerful as she said it would be, I could never deal with it…_

But the idea of allying himself with a Puella Magi, thus allowing the cycle of suffering to continue, and even contribute to it… he couldn't accept it easily. These thoughts only increased the pain he suffered as he unwrapped his bandages and disinfected other wounds throughout his scarred body.

Kazuhira looked around: he was in his father's depot, the one thing of his past that he clanged on to, other than his sister, of course. He could barely see anything: the ceiling lights were off, as always. His father never turned them on either: he said "I'll turn them on when me and my comrades walk in here". That never happened. Thus, the only lights inside that warehouse were a small desk lamp in the corner where he had set up some makeshift living quarters, and a flashlight he used when he needed to pick up weapons.

It wasn't too bad of a place to live in: it had both heating and AC, and a bathroom with shower. His father, cautious as ever, had built it as not only an emergency supply depot, but as somewhere one could hold out for some time. He was sure there were some emergency rations hidden away somewhere, but he never bothered looking for them: he couldn't stand them, either way.

He walked in the bathroom, and looked himself in the mirror, naked from the waist up. His height, unkempt beard, worked out body and scars and wounds everywhere made him appear several years older than he really was.

_...what the fuck am I going to do now?_

Kazuhira leaned against the sink, looking at the once-white ceramic, turned beige with time. The two options at hand divided his mind: to continue onwards with his plan, or to unite with a Puella Magi to face a common enemy. He was a bit ashamed not be able to make his mind quick, despite the difficult choice that it presented.

He gazed momentarily at the Grief Seed in his right arm, as if looking to obtain his answer from it. And as he looked at it, the more he realized one of the options had to be the right one: the problem was trying to live with it.

Suddenly, he punched the sink as if he had made a decision, and pumped that fist in the air.

"That's it, I'm going to shave this fucking beard!"

* * *

><p><em>So, what will you do now?<em>

* * *

><p>"Where were you all morning?"<p>

"I'm sorry, but you must understand I have other businesses to attend to."

"But after what happened the other day, we need some protection. It's not like we can cling to Mami-san all the time, or wait for that transfer student to jump in. And this bat isn't going to do much, either."

Sayaka knew well her words were meaningless. It's not like the red-eyed creature in Madoka's shoulder was ever going to apologize. As a result, she swung her wooden bat in the air, in frustration.

"Actually, I was investigating that very event."

"Uh?" Madoka and Sayaka exclaimed in unison, surprised.

"I am intrigued as you girls are… I've never seen an attack on a Puella Magi like that. But then again, they do possess an inherent capacity for improvisation and creativity far above the average human. It surprises even me."

"I see… "

Sayaka brought her index to her mouth, while looking up to the blue skies far above her.

"Did you find out anything?"

"Nothing so far. But I'll keep looking."

The answer left neither girl at ease.

"You two should know that you were just unfortunate bystanders here, it was between the attacker and Mami. Although, since you were witnesses, you might also be in danger."

"I understand that." Sayaka answered "Hence why I need reassurance."

"I'm not a reliable protection, you know. I possess no combat prowess. In battle, I'll be as reliable as that bat of yours: only good for peace of mind. But... if you really want to be safe, there is something I can do."

Kyubey's opportunistic mind would never let such chance escape.

"That… I haven't decided yet…"

"Not just you, Sayaka. You should seriously think about it too, Madoka."

"I don't…"

Madoka was quiet during almost the entire conversation, and was startled when talked to. Talking about that episode still scared her…

"You say you two can't rely on Mami to be there all the time. Even if one of you contracts with me, can you say you will be able to protect the other at all times?"

"I… uh…"

"Of course!" Sayaka answered, brining her fist to her heart in a fast swing, and with a large smile.

"I'll never let anything happen to my Madoka!"

Her thoughts, however, completely contrasted with her face. Kyubey's words only confirmed her previous fears.

_We are so fucked._

She sighed, and decided that conversation wasn't going anywhere good.

"Changing subjects: Madoka, have you seen- uh?"

She had failed to notice that the subject of her conversation had stopped dead in its tracks, and was staring at a pillar in the bicycle parking lot they were walking through.

"Madoka, what-

Looking in the direction her index finger was pointing at, they saw an awkward flash coming from that direction. More precisely, from an object embedded on the pillar.

A Grief Seed.

"This is bad! You two need to run away, now, before the barrier goes up!"

With no way of contacting Mami, they had no one else to rely on. Just themselves.

"Yes, but the hospital…"

"Sayaka-chan, we have to go to Mami-san's apartment."

"She is right, Sayaka. There is nothing we can do at the moment."

_No, you need to stay here and watch over it!_

"… okay"

Against her own mind, her feet started following Madoka, dragging herself away.

_Damnit, say it! Say you'll stay here and watch over it!_

But she couldn't. She was too frightened. The traumatic event had left more scars in her than she ever imagined. Seeing Madoka knocked out, with her school uniform drenched in blood, and Mami's hand nearly torn off…

Her body couldn't obey her mind.

_Kamijou-kun is in there!_

Yet. She finally came to a half, a few meters down the road, with this thought.

_SAYAKA MIKI! Are you a coward? No! Are you going to live your life afraid of some rooftop assassin? No! Are you going to walk away while thousands of innocents are at risk? No! Then make your stand here!_

She suddenly stomped the ground with her left foot as hard as she could, as if to show to the world her newborn resolve.

"Sayaka, what-

"I'll stay. I'll watch over it. I can't leave while the hospital is in danger."

"But-

"Madoka…"

Sayaka tightened her grip on the bat. Her blue hair, flickering with the wind in front of her matching, determined eyes almost made her right eye appear to be ablaze with blue flames.

There was no need for words. Madoka carried on, while Kyubey jumped off her shoulder and landed at Sayaka's feet.

* * *

><p><em>I'll do the only thing that I know how to do...<em>

* * *

><p>"I'd like to get mad at you guys for taking too many risks, but this was the best choice this time."<p>

Mami's words provided Madoka with some much needed relief.

"Now we don't have to worry about the witch getting-

An undesirable, but unfortunately now familiar shadow approached them from behind, from where they had entered.

"Akemi-san…"

Madoka was able to hear a hint of despise in Mami's words, and it frightened her to see her big-sister figure having that sort of feelings.

"You have the nerve to show up in front of me again?"

"I'll take on the prey. You two, withdraw."

"This isn't about us, this time." Mami was clearly trying to contain itself. "Miki-san and Kyubey are inside. I don't have time for you mumblings."

"I'll ensure their safety."

_Right, you black-haired bitch._

She couldn't hold it any longer: Mami simply snapped, to Madoka's amazement.

"You'd think I'd trust you after what you pulled off the other day?"

"That was a peculiar situation that is not likely to happen again. This witch is more powerful than you think. Believe my words, and step aside."

"Right, and my drill-bits say I'm stupid."

You could cut the tension with a knife. Mami's left arm was stretched, fingers wide open, ready for a quick summon. Downhill, Homura had her arm flexed inwards, ready to reach into the shield and grab some dakka. However, it was clear she was doing so unwillingly.

"Please, don't fight!" Madoka shouted

"Stay back, Kaname-san. It's not safe."

"But… she saved us…"

Madoka kept talking for a few seconds after, but too low to be audible.

"I left you the Grief Seed that time. And I saved you from the sniper. Is that not enough for you? Must you still doubt my intentions?"

"I have nothing to thank you for. I would have managed on my own. And your true intentions have been are certainly not what you portray them to be."

Homura bit her lip. _Fool._

"Plus, I cannot tolerate to be put to shame by the likes of you. Who do you think you are?"

"I am an ally of peace, and an adversary of those who fight without reason. Which are you, Mami Tomoe?"

"Peace?"

_What… who is this Mami? Please… Mami, come back!_

"Peace, with the likes of you? You will only bring strife with your attitude. You do not deserve to call yourself an ally of anything."

Mami's eyes were ablaze.

"Did you not say you can't waste time? Yet you insist on pointless and invalid arguments."

"You're the one making me lose time!"

In a lightning quick motion, Mami summoned a musket with her right hand, to which Homura promptly responded by drawing her Howa Type 89. Their muzzles lined up perfectly, ready for a lead-on-lead clash. Homura only realized too late that wasn't bound to happen.

It was a trap; with her left hand, off sight, Mami had summoned her ribbons, which ensnared Homura before she could react.

_Dammit… but I was ready this time…_

That was not the end, though. Mami had become much more aggressive than she'd ever seen her, or ever predicted her to become. She did not dispel her musket, and instead aimed at Homura's kneecaps, leaving Madoka astonished.

"I won't kill you or harm you permanently. I'll merely make sure you stop being a liability for now."

The hint of despise in Mami's words had grown to full-blown hate. In her decision not to cause permanent harm she was still herself, but in that occasion, she was almost... bloodlustful, to Madoka's terror.

"Mami, please, don't!" Madoka shouted, hugging and pulling Mami from the back. However, she didn't even flinch.

"Don't look, Kaname-san!"

Homura closed her eyes. She'd lost. There was nothing she could do.

*bang*

"Uh-

Madoka covered her eyes with her hands, foolishly trying to pretend none of that was happening. But she hadn't covered them completely: she saw ripples of reality through the spaces between her fingers. And in one of them, she saw Homura, hanging on the ribbons… and still in one piece.

And in front of her, stood an utterly shocked Mami, empty handed, with her musket lying in the distance, sporting a large, smoking hole in its side before vanishing.

_What… the hell…_

It was almost unnoticeable, but Homura was smiling.

_Success._

Another shot was heard, and the ribbons ensnaring Homura were sliced. She did not waste time, and assaulted a still shocked Mami, who snapped back to reality just in time to summon a musket. She used it to parry Homura's blows, but a well placed kick send it flying away, and Homura wrestled her to the ground.

"Before you fall asleep again, understand this: you would have died in that condemned building if it weren't for me, and the same would have happened here today. Do not make me your enemy. I have no intention to be yours."

And she again knocked her unconscious, this time with a shield bash to the back of Mami's neck.

"Homura… chan…"

"Madoka, where-

Before she could complete her question, the entire barrier shook, like it had suffered a strong earthquake. Jars of marmalade and fruit preserves in the walls crashed on the ground, candy fell from cracks in the ceiling.

Charlotte was in business.

_"Madoka, what is happening out there?"_, Kyubey asked. "_Where is Mami?"_

_"Mami is… Mami is…"_

Homura heard the telepathic conversation as well. And most importantly, she heard where Kyubey's voice had come from.

"Madoka, stay here and take care of her."

"B-but… alone…"

Madoka was crying, by this point: she would probably have done so whatever the outcome.

"Don't worry. You're safe."

As she said that, she looked at the bottom of the road they had fought in: a metallic sparkle answered her unspoken question.

_Good._

Homura turned around, and ran up the hill as fast as her legs allowed. There was no time to solve mazes: she drew her Howa Type 89 with her right hand, using the left to hold her Desert Eagle, and fired wildly at the walls, opening a path as straight as possible to the target. The now awaken Pyotrs noticed her immediately, and attacked her in scores. She took no ceremony and blasted them away with efficiency, barely hampered by the fact that she was using an assault rifle one-handed.

Sayaka Miki. To Homura, she was synonymous to nothing but trouble. Whenever she contracted, her demise was always unavoidable. Was it not for her, and she might have beaten Walpurgis before. But still, she couldn't pass over saving her. There was a chance… there was a small chance she would make it to Walpurgis this time. And… despite all, she was Madoka's best friend. She'd seen how she reacted to her death before… and though it had helped driving home the point, seeing Madoka crying her heart out in front of the bluenette's dead body ate her soul away.

Having left piles of dead familiars in her wake, only one Pyotr stood in front of her. Boldly, it charged at her, but was quickly repelled by a .50 AE bullet. It's spherical body flew backwards at high speed, crashing through a door labeled "Chocolate Flavor".

And there it was. Probably the most dangerous witch she'd faced, apart from Walpurgis, thanks to its powers of deception. Charlotte.

Except she wasn't deceitful this time. She was in her caterpillar form, and having seen the last of her faithful servants be blown away into her domain, she recklessly attacked Homura, approaching her at high speed.

She immediately readied a pipe bomb, and prepared to dodge.

But it never reached her. Homura could only watch surprised as Charlotte's head fell lifeless at her feet, cut away from the rest of her serpentine body. She opened her mouth wide, as if trying to expel something, but a ridiculously small worm came out, which Homura squashed with her high heels.

Looking ahead of her, she witnessed the rest of Charlotte's body being sliced to pieces as well, falling motionless of the ground, and leaving trails of light between them.

The cause was obvious. A figure stood in the middle of the room, sword in hand, emitting blue flashes of hallowed light.

She was too late.

_Dammit._

* * *

><p><em>I'll fight.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: Gabranth, a character in Final Fantasy XII. He utters this particular quote in Dissidia, a PSP game featuring multiple FF characters.**

**Straight-haired Madoka. Yup, heresies are my thing. ****Not my favorite chapter, but one can't have every chapter as its favorite, can I?**

* * *

><p><strong>Weaponry: the Howa Type 89 is a Japanese assault rifle. In Madoka, you can see it twice: first, it's the weapon that is lined up in rows when she breaks into the military base, and she uses it to fight off Walpurgis' familiars. It fires the NATO standard 5.56mm round.<strong>

**I don't think I need to explain the Desert Eagle to you, it's ungodly famous, having appeared in more than 500 movies, particularly The Matrix. Homura steals one in Timeline 2. It's powerful (.50 AE _really_ hurts), but very cumbersome.**

* * *

><p><strong>Next up is another short of mine. But with my exams and an Xbox 360 incoming, it might take a while before the next chapter. However, the story starts heating up from here on, so stay tuned =D<strong>

**Reviews welcome, and, as always, hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Angelus Custodiens

"Mami-san, did anything happen? You look so tired…"

"I'm okay" Mami answered sheepishly "I just had a rough night."

That was the tenth colleague that asked her that, the first after lunch. She usually enjoyed talking to them, it took her mind off her problems, but this time, she just wasn't in the mood for it.

She sat at her desk, juggling a pencil in her left hand, gazing out the glass walls with empty eyes. Her mind wasn't there. All she saw in front of her was the cold ground she had invariably ended up on in the last week. First she was left out of the fight with the sniper that blew a hole through her hand, and then she was knocked cold while trying to hunt a witch. Twice.

_When did I become so weak?_, she thought. She raised her hand in front of her eyes, long healed without leaving a trace, but somehow she could still feel something in the back of her hand.

_And in front of the girls as well… Heh, I don't deserve to call myself a mentor, do I?_

The last one, however, had been the tipping point. She had simply lost it at the dessert witch's barrier. She couldn't recall herself being in such a state, overcome with anger. Her behavior had even scared Madoka.

But Homura's words to her…

_"Before you fall asleep again, understand this: you would have died in that condemned building if it weren't for me, and the same would have happened here today. Do not make me your enemy. I have no intention to be yours."_

Those words really made her think. So far, she figured Homura was simply trying to sabotage her. That was perfectly understandable: she knew well competition between Puellae Magi was commonplace. Then why would she say such a thing? She caught no hint of deceit in her words: was she really trying to save her? But most importantly, why?

But nonetheless… she couldn't stand it. None of that mattered. Who told Homura she needed to be saved, and couldn't take on the witches herself? And who the hell is she and who does she think she is to humiliate her like that? To disgrace her honor, right in front of Madoka and Sayaka, twice? And to leave her a Grief Seed out of pity? And to cause a mess to the point that it forced Sayaka to contract with Kyubey just to stay alive?

_That stuck up black-haired bitch, I'm going to ki-_

*crack*

Unknowingly, she was clenching her left hand so hand she broke the pencil in half, causing a number of surprised colleagues to look at her. She quickly dismissed them by saying it was just a bad memory she had. They accepted the explanation and went back to their chit-chat. Fortunately, none of them noticed the blood dripping from her hand: her nails drew blood from the palm of her hand.

_No, this isn't right. Keep your cool, Mami._

As it was a small wound, she was able to heal it without using both her hands, and without any visible glow. She gazed at it, as the four small cuts vanished under her skin.

…_what's happening to me?_

She was finally brought back to reality by the arriving math teacher, who walked in the room with a bigger smile than usual. She wasn't the only one to notice, as her colleagues quickly began to take bets on the possible reason for it.

"Oh, his baseball team won, right?"

"I heard he's moving up to the executive council…"

"You saw the eighth grade teacher? You think they're fu-

"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone."

He waited for a few seconds before continuing.

"Now, before we begin, I have an announcement. This is something that would usually be done at homeroom, but there were schedule issues."

The teacher slowly raised his hand and gave a signal to the doorway, as if telling someone to come in. In a second, a figure appeared outside the room, and made its way in.

It was a rugged but young looking man, quite tall for the age he appeared to have. The ninth graders were not only surprised by that, but also because of his uncommon outfit. He wore western-style casual clothing, consisting of a black bomber jacket, wore open; blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a large black helmet in his right hand. Although it was obscured by the jacket, a careful eye could see a rather humorous stamp on the t-shirt: a triangular traffic sign with a figure holding a sniper rifle, with the inscription "SNIPER AT WORK" written below.

He walked up to the drawing board, with a perfect posture, wrote his name on the drawing board (having signaled to the teacher he intended to introduce himself), and addressed the class with a powerful, but polite and kind voice.

"Good afternoon, my name is Kazuhira Brito. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I study at Mitakihara Military Academy, and I will be attending some of yours and the eight grade's classes to collect data for a school project in Psychology. I hope you will welcome my presence among you."

* * *

><p>"Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 6**

**_Angelus Custodiens_**

* * *

><p><em>A few hours earlier…<em>

"I see you've reached a decision."

She looked at her wrist watch, having to place a hand above her eyes, as the strong sun rays reflected on the glass. _12 PM sharp. I guess it should be expected, given his raising._

The flash green Kawasaki Ninja parked right besides her, filling the area with a light scent of gas. The rider shut down the engine, slammed the kickstand down, and hopped off. He removed his helmet, revealing himself to be the man from the other night.

_Kazuhira, uh?_

"Indeed, I have."

They exchanged looks for a second, with neither moving a muscle on their face, before he continued.

"I've decided to take upon your offer and watch over the Puellae Magi of this city, until the event you talk of."

"Thank you-

"However, know that I only do this for the greater good. Those poor girls… they are doomed. And we're only going to prolong their suffering… But if it's to save this city, and everyone in it, I cannot refuse."

"I understand your predicament. But you've made the right decision.

…and, before we continue, thanks. Your help yesterday was certainly welcome."

Homura did not display it, but she was relieved. She had thrown her plan for this timeline out the window, and gambled everything on his acceptance. It paid off. _So far, that is._

"Don't mention it. If we're gonna do this, we need to preserve each other as well."

She nodded, and opened her bag, pulled out a notebook, and handed it to him.

"That's the information you'll need to keep an eye on them. You'll probably have some on Mami Tomoe, since you tracked her down, but it's important regardless."

He flipped through the pages. The first one had a mini-bio for Mami, along with a small picture glued to the top right corner. After it, several pages of assorted info, all written in a clean, concise and organized way, including a map of her house, usual routes, and even going as far as to detail his seat in her class.

"You certainly are… thorough."

Homura noticed the hint of awkwardness in his statement, but she decided to ignore it. Kazuhira flipped a few more pages, until he stumbled upon a page written in the same style as the first, separated from the rest by a bookmark. And as with the first, there was a photo glued to the top right corner. And it was again a familiar one.

A blue-haired girl.

"This girl… Sayaka Miki…

"She was inside the barrier, yesterday. I couldn't get to her in time. I'm sorry."

He tried to say "its okay" or "it's not your fault", but he couldn't. Another innocent girl, condemned to life in hell. _Damn._

"You should be especially careful with her. She can be… unpredictable."

Kazuhira nodded, and continued reading, finding the same sort of information on Sayaka as well. After that, there was an extra file about a girl called Kyouko, but it was marked "Not local. May appear at random times".

_So, three girls, four with her. That's not too bad, I feared there'd be more._

Closing the notebook from the middle, he place it beneath his arm, and retrieved school supplies of his own from a large black sports bag he wore around the shoulder.

Homura raised an eyebrow. She was really making the effort to express her emotions, in this case surprise, to him, instead of repressing them. By now, she was used to clench her fist or throw her hair back instead, whenever she had a stronger feeling of any kind.

"I have an additional plan, if you don't mind."

In order to dispel her surprise, he explained his plan. He was going to join Mami's class with the excuse that he was working on a school project on Psychology: with Sayaka now thrown into the mix, he would observe her classes as well, even though Homura was present there. He'd also try to approach them carefully: if Homura was to be a distant protector, he'd try to get close to them, even though he would have to assist them in battle without being uncovered, if possible.

"I see. It's an acceptable plan indeed, but… can you do it? You've been living in hell for a while now. I know how it should be hard for you to socialize with others…"

And she had a very good example.

"Despite everything that happened… I cannot let it affect my morale. Rika would have never forgiven me if I had lost my cheerfulness. If it happens, that's the end. Trust me, I can do it. If anything, it'll be a nice break from the fighting."

He said this with a large smile in his face. _His mental strength is truly amazing_, Homura thought.

"And will the school accept it?"

"They've already accepted over the phone. Its common practice for Psychology students to make this kind of study, and the school's okay with it. I should know, one of my sister's friends wouldn't shut up a about her time here."

"But you're not really a student in the Military Academy…"

"I used to be." He replied, clearly nostalgic. "But I doubt they'll check it anyway, different schools do this all the time. In the case they do, I can forge some documents. My dad told me one day it would be a useful skill… he was damn right."

He threw her the sports bag, which she promptly caught: although she could handle it easily, it was quite heavy: a regular person would have been encumbered.

"Take it, it's yours. I figured that, since we're working together, I should provide you with some equipment, just as you gave me this information just now. Nothing too fancy, but it will help. Although… you probably shouldn't open it here."

Homura opened the zipper just slightly: inside, she could spot the barrel of a large weapon and several smaller, indistinguishable pieces of equipment.

_Doesn't smell like gunpowder, or plastic explosive. Good._

"Thanks."

Kazuhira looked at his wristwatch.

"Well… I'll go get some lunch, and I'll come back after to introduce myself. I suppose you don't want to accompany me?"

"It would be suspicious if we were seen together."

"Right…" he answered, rolling his eyes.

"But in other circumstances, I might be inclined to accept."

Homura surprised even herself, as she said that.

"Good, but… why do you say that?"

"You intrigue me. We are… alike. We know the truth about this world, but endure to fight against it nonetheless, as we have something to protect to the point where we are willing to give our lives for-

"You are nothing like me."

His jolly face darkened instantly, and he turned his back on her.

"We may both fight to protect what we hold dear, but… you can still save the one you want to protect the most. I've lost that opportunity long ago."

_What? When did he-_

"I saw it. At the rundown building, you kept your cool even as I hit Mami Tomoe's hand, but when that pink-haired girl was injured, you looked at her with sheer fear. She's the one you want to protect the most."

_Tsk…_

"And you can still do it. You still have that chance. So until you've lost her for good, don't say you're like me. You don't know what it's like, to carry on her will, to feel her pain, but to never be able to hug her…"

Away from her sight, he cleaned a tear that fell from his right eye, and mounted the bike.

"Sorry… sorry if I was too harsh. But I had to make you understand."

Kazuhira's words had broken Homura's iron wall, and he saw her looking down, with tearful eyes, just momentarily, before she regained her composure the next instant.

"Tell me… what's her name?"

"…Madoka. Madoka Kaname."

"Homura Akemi… I promise you, I'll help you protect Madoka. I may have failed myself, but I will not allow you to fail. For my sake. For your sake. For Rika's sake."

He pushed the kickstand back into he bike's body, put his black helmet back on, and started the engine, pulling away from the cobbled sidewalk.

"So that you don't become like me."

* * *

><p><em>You will fight, uh?<em>

* * *

><p>"Psst. What are you doing?"<p>

"Taking notes."

"Yeah, right. And my hair isn't actually blue, I just got hit by a falling bucket of paint."

With years of experience in the fine art of slacking in class, there is no way she would be fooled by such a sloppy excuse.

"Fine… I'm reading poetry."

"Oooh, let me see. Or I'll tell the teacher that the mysterious student that popped up in the last class of the day, and who's supposed to be studying us, is slacking."

He rolled his eyes, and handed her a small, leather-covered poetry book, titled "Loveless", which he had carefully concealed behind several carefully placed sheets of paper.

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
>The goddess descends from the sky<br>Wings of light and dark spread afar  
>She guides us to bliss, her gift ever gasping…"<p>

"Lasting. Everlasting."

"Yeah, that. This is heavy stuff, you like this?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"You're new here, and I'm curious. Simple."

"Well, you should be paying attention. You never know when…"

He went silent for a second, in order to hear what listen of what was happening up front: his argument was instantly rendered moot, however, as instead of lecturing, the teacher was torturing a poor student in the front row on how a salad should be properly presented.

"…well, that, might be useful."

Sayaka laughed at his embarrassed look.

"And you're the one telling me that? I caught you reading poetry in the middle of class. I'm younger than you, if I'm the one telling you to be responsible, something's wrong, no?"

Kazuhira let out a giggle of his own.

"Don't you worry about that, I've taken my notes long ago. It's easy."

"Easy?"

"To be honest… I don't actually have to be here all the time; I can collect data pretty quickly. But the project forces me to attend a large number of classes."

"Oh, yeah? Then please, indulge me with your masterful observations." She replied, while waving both her hands in the air.

"Well" He said, while retrieving his notes, and pointing at the subjects as he mentioned them.

"Most of the class is amused by your teacher's enthusiasm, and thus she manages to keep most of you interested; those two girls must be arguing for that boy across the room; that green-haired girl next to you must be worried about something, because she spent half the class looking out the window; that pink-haired one is trying hard, but can't understand most things; and you, young lady, you've spent a good part of class in the cloud kingdom."

"He… hehe…"

Sayaka's nervous laugh said everything. _Busted!_

The next instant, the bell rang, signaling the end of Kazuko's salad rant. She took a deep breath, and dismissed the class with a large smile. Kazuhira was instantly surrounded by a crowd curious students, asking him how was life in the military academy, his bike, and all sorts of other things. He answered them one by one, but without stopping: thus, he walked across half the school completely surrounded by mid-schoolers. And he started to wonder whether introducing himself to Mami's class first and leaving this one for last was a mistake.

_Keep on walking. Do NOT stop: if you do, you die. Hehe._

He managed to survive until they reached to locker area, at which point the remaining few dispersed. Upon opening his assigned locker, which sat at the end of the hallway and still had the previous Psychology student's name on it, he wiped his forehead in relief. _Safe._

"Don't worry, they're harmless."

It was Sayaka again, this time accompanied by a pink-haired girl. He clenched his fist as he saw her, and looked away, as he couldn't exchange looks with the other girl. Not only had he gravely injured her, but she was also the reason Homura Akemi fought onwards, despite knowing the truth… he couldn't help but to relate.

"Brito-san, right? Is there… something wrong?"

Being addressed by her didn't help. Nonetheless, he shook away those thoughts, and put up his regular, cheery face. Out of instinct, he also pulled up the jacket's zipper: it'd be for the best if she didn't see that t-shirt up close…

"No, nothing. And please, just Kaz is fine."

The pink-haired girl smiled back, and extended her hand.

"Kaz… it sounds very cool! I'm Madoka Kaname. Just call me Madoka!"

"Well, you certainly look cheerful."

"Uh-uh. I was injured in the head, and I had to wear my hair straight for some time to cover the bandages. But now I took them off, and I can wear my ribbons again. I'm so happy!"

Madoka's smile was pure and contagious, instantly filling both Kaz and Sayaka with happiness.

"And it's not often we someone with a bike." Sayaka said, returning tot he previous conversation, and pointing at his helmet. "And from the looks of that helmet, it's not a lame scooter either. You need to show it to me. I am so getting one of those when I can."

"Sayaka, bikes are dangerous…" Madoka replied, worried.

"But that danger is fun. And come on, I like walking with you, but sometimes I'd like to get places faster, you know? He can probably go anywhere in town in five minutes, while we have to walk everywhere. Right?"

He knew how to spot an opportunity.

"Actually… I'm leaving it in the parking lot overnight. I got distracted and forgot to fill her up on the way here, and now I don't have enough to get to the nearest station. I'm going to have to bring a canister tomorrow."

"Well, then, you can walk with us. Where do you live?"

_Think, Kaz… where did Sayaka lived? It was on the map…_

"The eastern district."

"Perfect, that's where I live too." Sayaka replied "We can go together, we just need to wait for- hey!"

Sayaka was nearly pushed to the ground by someone who walked by her so fast that she only saw a green-colored blur.

But that was enough for her to know who it was.

"Hey, Hitomi, watch where you're walking!" Sayaka uttered, angered "Are you that late for tea class or whatever?"

"Uh, yeah, tea, that's it, I'm late for tea class, sorry I can't go with you, goodbye!" She answered sloppily, without stopping.

"_Tea class"… yeah, right. She's lying, and by the way she was embarrassed, it's probably something serious._

"Seriously… Hitomi's just not been herself lately… well, let's go?"

Both Madoka and Kaz approved, and they departed. By the gates, they crossed paths with Homura: Kaz nodded at her, a signal she reciprocated. Sayaka put up an angry face when she saw her, but that quickly faded away, as she circled around the parked Kawasaki, with her eyes glowing in amazement.

They walked together through the city, with Kaz being naturally the center of attention. He wasn't used to it anymore, but it felt good, having regular people who cared about him.

Even though they had to take a detour, Sayaka insisted on taking Madoka home. There, they parted ways with the cheerful girl, and as soon as the pair turned around the corner, Sayaka's smile faded away.

"Hey, Kaz, since you're in the military academy, can you tell me… how is it like to go to war?"

"I… don't know. I've never been to it."

He felt like punching someone right there. He knew it all too well. He had been living in it for far too long not to know it. _If you can call that a war. It's more like a fucking massacre._

"But… I know people who did. Why do you ask?"

"It's because… I'd like to know how they feel. I have… a challenge in front of me. You could call it a difficult battle."

_It's a lot more than that, Sayaka, it's a lot more than that… _

"There's no way I can tell you that. No one can. It's something that can't be put into words."

"I see…" Sayaka replied, looking down. "But, let's say, hypothetically, that I have a big battle in front of me. It's difficult, and a lot of people could get hurt. What should I do?"

"War is never good. You should never start or enter one, as long as it's possible."

"What if I just have to fight? What if… I just have a good reason to fight? Something I just have to protect?"

"In that case… absolutely, go for it."

The sudden change of both opinion and tone of voice surprised her.

"Uh?"

"Nothing's free in this life. Everything has a price and we should be well aware of it, before taking any action. If you don't, there's no telling what could happen. You should always know the consequences of your actions before undertaking them."

_But you don't know, and should never know them…because if you do…_

"However… that does not mean there is nothing worth paying the price for. You will suffer the consequences, yes, but if you truly have something you want to protect that much, fight with everything you got. Because no matter what sacrifices we have to make, no matter how much suffering we have to go through… there are some things in this life that are worth more than our own lives."

Sayaka looked at his eyes: it was as if they were ablaze. _Such passion…_

"We all have to fight for something at some point. Just be damn sure that what you're fighting for is worth waging a war for."

_Kamijou…_

"And what do I do, when I have to do it?"

"Fight with all your strength, with your very life if needed. Never stop, never surrender, never regret your decision, and most importantly, never lose sight of your objective. Because if you do, then you'll be waging a pointless battle… a war for war's sake… and it will eat you inside. All wars have the same objective: to vanquish the opponent, end the conflict, and come back home alive to those precious to you. You should treat any challenge in life the same way."

Sayaka nodded silently, and they didn't say another word until they reached her house. She waved him goodbye and thanked him for the company and conversation, and walked in. Just as she was getting out of sight, Kazuhira called her out.

"Sayaka-chan…"

"Yes?"

"Remember: never surrender."

She nodded again, but this time with a smile on her face, and carried on.

* * *

><p><em>I'll stay by your side all the way...<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>Akemi-san, what sport do you practice?"<em>

"_That sports bag looks heavy… Must be hard to carry it to training every day, right?"_

"_I hope she's not going to join the volleyball team, I'll no longer be the best player…"_

_Ugh._

It was bad enough to have to carry that lummox around all day, she had to come up with excuses for what seemed to be half the world asking her what she was doing with it. She could only sigh in relief the moment she dropped it in the middle of her living room.

_Let's just see what's this all about._

Homura opened the zipper gently, and took a good look inside. Everything was neatly arranged, disposed in individual bags, and the objects that weren't were tied to the bag.

She removed the contents. First, three pairs of headset radios. She tried one on, which fit perfectly, and tapped the mic twice: a few seconds later, the same signal was sent to her. In a rare fit of vanity, she looked to her right, into a large mirror: she didn't look half bad with it.

Then, a box of high explosive grenades and another with stun grenades, which she carefully placed besides the bag.

Afterwards, she retrieved a small cushioned box, which contained an ultra-compact Walther PPK pistol, which was smaller than her own hand. Attached to it, there was a post-it saying: "For petty stuff. Keep it in your pocket".

_Too bad you forgot I don't have pockets._

Nonetheless, it would be useful should she need a firearm without transforming. She took out one of the several boxes of matching ammunition that came in the bag, loaded the pistol, and placed it inside her schoolbag.

And finally, the motherload, which occupied half the bag. There was another note attached to it.

_I'm guessing you obtained your weapons by raiding JSDF bases and yakuza hideouts. But there's only so much you can obtain in Japan. Here's something I think you'll enjoy. I personally prefer my Arctic Warfare, but it's not like recoil is much of a problem to you, anyway._

_-Kaz_

Homura recognized it immediately, as she had tried to obtain it before, but wasn't able to find it anywhere, even in JSDF bases. A Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle, chambered for .50 BMG lied inside, broken in half for transportation. A monster of a weapon that suited her purposes perfectly: it was immensely powerful, and it's massive bulk, weight and recoil were not a problem to her.

With mild excitement, she retrieved the parts, along with the large ammo boxes that laid beneath them, and assembled the rifle. At 1,45 meters, it was almost as tall has her. She discarded the now-empty bag, and leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling, and lightly touching the barrel with her left hand. At about mid-length, she felt something on the barrel: a closer look revealed it to be an inscription, engraved on the steel.

ÆGIS

_Aegis... the impenetrable shield of Athena, a symbol of unwavering protection..._

Her Soul Gem suddenly started to glow. _This pattern... it's the TV witch._

Wasting no time, she transformed. It was the perfect chance to try it out her new toy. She checked her ammo, and pulled back the charging handle, which came back down on the rifle with a large clang. The metallic bullpup rifle reflected the moon's warm glow in her eyes, as she jumped out the window, vaulting over the rooftops, steadfast in her intent to terminate Elly.

_To protect Madoka... and this world... Like it or not, this time, I am not alone._

* * *

><p><em>Because salvation cannot be given up on... I now understand that...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote from: Ace Combat 04. Rather fitting, given that it's an aerial combat game. I am a big fan of the series.**

**Sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for being so late :/ I've had uni exams, plus I just got an Xbox. I promise you such a delay shall not happen again.**

**A set-up chapter for the most part. Even Snake would be proud of such an infiltration. Which is rather ironic, because if you've played MGS: Peace Walker, you've probably been laughing for two chapters now.**

* * *

><p><strong>Walther PPK: Universally known as James Bond's pistol of choice, it's small size allows easy concealment.<strong>

**Barrett M82A1: Mostly explained.**

* * *

><p><strong>And last but not least, a big thanks to Jodan No Ken for correcting the Latin titles.<strong>

**Reviews welcome, and as always, hope you enjoyed! :)**


	8. Memento Mori

"Step back, here comes another wave!"

The witch slammed her gigantic mouth open again, this time revealing even more cannons. A relentless barrage was incoming, and the older girl quickly realized it.

*clang*

_Come on…_

_*_click*

_Now!_

Hundreds, if not thousands of fiery baseballs were rocketed out in the girls' direction, each with its own speed, direction and effect. There was nowhere to run, nor nowhere to hide. Their only choice was to face the music.

The blonde girl masterfully dodged the balls, jumping between them, spinning around, and diving away from them in a fashion that would have made Neo cry in shame, and still managed to destroy a large number by firing her muskets in the middle of her acrobatics.

The bluenette, however, lacking such agility, could only slice in twain the onslaught of baseballs that threatened to turn her into swiss cheese. Still, her swordsmanship was amazing, and the sliced ball halves piled up around her at an astonishing rate.

_Strike one._

Nonetheless, it was clear she was struggling to keep up. And the witch was cunning. Spotting the youngling's weakness, she committed more balls to destroy her. Sayaka refused to back down and stood her ground, even batting some balls back with the blunt ends of her twin cutlasses. Spotting a group of high balls incoming, she crossed her swords, raised them above her head, and quckly pulled them away, releasing a light blue shock wave that disintegrated the balls, all in a split second.

But it was enough for a single low ball to bypass her guard, locked-on to her stomach unopposed. She attempted to slash it, drawing her right cutlass down as fast as her enhanced muscles allowed her. It wasn't nearly enough, and she could already picture her innards splattered against the batting cage that stood behind her.

*bang*

To her astonishment, the deadly baseball disintegrated before it could hit home. But there was no time to breathe in relief, as the assault continued. The witch relentlessly kept on firing a flurry of fiery baseballs at the girls…

*click*

…until they suddenly stopped.

_Hah. I got you now._

*click* *click* *click*

"Mami-san, let me take care of it." Sayaka said, with a mischievous smile.

Her elder conceded, and Sayaka gave the witch a threatening look, peering deep into its left eye, as her right eye sat on the other end of her enormous, oval-shaped body. The witch was already shifting around, startled by unexpectedly running out of ammo, and upon witnessing the young warrior's gaze, it hurriedly attempted to shut its mouth, in order to reload.

"Oh no you don't!" Sayaka shouted, putting emphasis on the last word. She launched her swords at the witch: both were stuck inside one of the many cannons inside her mouth, jamming it open.

"Let's finish this!"

She summoned two additional cutlasses, and ran up the giant pitcher's mound-like hill the witch stood in at an amazing speed. Before it could even react, she sliced right through the witch, brandishing her swords in an X shape. She landed on one knee on the other side, with her cutlasses raised high, as the witch fell apart, sliced in four pieces. The whole scene was enveloped in beams of hallowed blue light that appeared with her every movement.

"That was amazing, Miki-san." Mami said, as she slowly approached the victorious bluenette, while her regular clothes rematerialized.

"Please, it's about time you call me Sayaka, no?" She answered, with a large smile, only amplified by the moonlight that was cast on her the moment the barrier disappeared.

"Okay… Sayaka." The blonde answered, embarrassed, but above all proud. She picked up the Grief Seed, and threw it at Sayaka.

"Take it. It's all yours."

"Fat chance. We're sharing."

"Not this time." Mami said, with her index finger raised. "You need to build up an emergency stockpile first. We've been through this already."

"Fine…" She relented, slightly upset. Only then did she dispel her weapons and armor. She might have done it before, but holding that cutlass just felt _right_.

"But at least I'm buying you some cake."

"I'll be delighted to accept that, Sayaka."

Putting the newly-acquired Greif Seed away, she walked up to her mentor. A pink-haired girl, who watched the events from a distance quickly approached them , with a large smile in her face, and affectionately hugged Sayaka. After a momentary pause, the three girls left the scene, side by side.

_Good going, Sayaka… Keep up that determination…_

A buzzing sound in his left hear interrupted his line of thought. It was followed by a smooth, calm voice.

"…_can you hear me?"_

"Loud and clear."

"_I'm on my way, ETA two minutes. Hold the… Wait, the signals disappeared."_

"Yes, Mami and Sayaka just killed it. The situation is solved."

There was no voice from the other side for a few seconds, other than the muffled sound of a passing-by bird.

"_Roger. I'll be heading back, then. Anything worth of note?"_

"Well, even though I have far less expertise than you, Sayaka was rather impressive for a novice. I barely needed to pitch in. You could say-"

He stopped for a second to put his sunglasses on, as he mounted his bike with his Arctic Warfare Magnum concealed inside a large backpack, almost his size.

"-she batted a thousand."

"_Understood._

…_and, uh, Kazuhira…"_

Even thought the radio, the embarrassment in her voice was noticeable.

"_Good work."_

He perked up a smile, pulled the kickstand up, and revved up the engine of his Kawasaki.

"Don't mention it. It's my job, after all."

* * *

><p>"For after all what is man in nature? A central point in between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 7**

_**Memento Mori**_

* * *

><p><em>Loading…<em>

__Zero – Keiki Kobayashi__

*click*

_Dead Reckoning – Clint Mansell_

*click*

_115 – Elena Siegman_

_Go – Andy Hunter_

_Blurry – Puddle of Mudd_

_Self vs Self – Pendulim & In Flames_

_United We Stand, Divided We Fall – Two Steps From Hell_

__Watercolor – Pendulum__

After a moment's hesitation, he settled on Pendulum's masterpiece, and let the flawless blend of Spanish guitar and Latin chanting flow inside his head form the single headphone in his right hear, as he tried to survive the boredom. He had long ago taken the notes needed to maintain his cover, and the math teacher kept rambling about De Morgan's laws, something he'd learn ages ago. And tt was boring even then.

Kazuhira wasn't the only one: the entire class was in such state. It was late, very late for middle school standards, as the sun was nearly waving the day goodbye, and they were the only ones left there: the professor had to delay the class due to personal issues. And it would still be at least another half an hour before they could breathe in relief.

Everyone was in such state, except for Mami. Even though he'd never seen her too cheerful, she seemed even farther away from reality than before. Nearly every time she'd smile, he could tell she was faking it. Most people wouldn't pass her spiritual abstraction as boredom, just as the rest of the class, but he could tell there was more to it. There was… something else there. But he couldn't understand what.

Nonetheless, he disregarded it for the time being. As Watercolor reached its climax, he thought back about the last week. For once, everything had gone… awkwardly right. Both Sayaka and Mami were unhurt, witch activity had decreased, and for the first time since his tragedy, he'd been able to live a normal life, even if a fake one.

_Just wish things could stay like this…_

His random thoughts were interrupted by a now familiar buzzing sound in his left ear, much to his happiness. He had grown accustomed to the in-ear radio, and no longer had the reflex to place his index in his ear.

"…_Kaz, we got a situation. A witch has just appeared in the eastern district."_

He was rather pleased by hearing Homura referring to him as such.

"_I cannot go there. Kyouko, the last girl in the files, has just arrived in town. If my suspicions are correct, she is planning on intercepting Sayaka. I have to watch over both of them."_

He nodded to no one in particular.

"_Sayaka will detect the witch any moment now, and she'll be sure to warn Mami. Follow her. Out."_

Another buzz signaled the end of the transmission. After thinking for a second, he started packing his things silently. He figured he'd leave before Mami, as to avoid raising suspicions. Plus, he now had a good excuse to get the hell out of there as soon as possible, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to use it.

"Excuse me, professor, but I have an emergency-

"I'm sorry, professor, but something urgent has-

But he wasn't quite planning on Mami rising from her seat at the same time.

"Is it… something related?" The professor questioned, after hesitating for a moment.

Every student looked at the pair awkwardly, and the math teacher even more so. But the weird gaze they shared was leagues above. Pure shame on Kaz's side, and an incomprehensible mixture of feelings on Mami's.

"No…"

"Not that I know of…"

"Alright then, you can go." The professor relented, while adjusting his glasses. "Tomoe-san, I'll still require your homework Monday."

She nodded, and the pair quickly left the room, leaving their colleagues to their suspicions. They didn't spoke a word, and Kaz turned the other way as soon as he could.

_Phew… safe._

He followed Mami through parallel hallways, and managed to get to the parking lot unnoticed, as she exited through the gates, walking at a fast pace. He mounted his bike and followed her carefully, again taking side streets and looping around blocks when needed. They were definitely heading towards the witch: the farther they went, the stronger the pain that spread through his left arm was, stinging like a thousand needles were poking him from the inside. He was used to it, however, and did not flinch.

Finally, Mami stopped in front of a decrepit building, as Kazuhira watched her with binocs, parked two blocks away. That was definitely it, he could feel it. It was an abandoned kindergarten, an eerie sight that disturbed even him. She jumped in through a broken window, and a flash of yellow light emerged from inside, just for an instant.

That was his cue: he dismounted his Kawasaki, and ran the distance, jumping inside through the same window.

_This is it._

He pulled his right sleeve, and held his bare arm in front of his head, with the Grief Seed that lied on it turned to the outside.

* * *

><p><em>Rika… can you hear me?<em>

* * *

><p>He closed his eyes, and a strong, painful pulse ran through his body, powerful enough to make him tremble. After a few seconds, the wall started to fade away, as if it was rotting, creating a dark portal. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked through it.<p>

The inside of the barrier was no less creepy: toys scattered everywhere, and while there were some of objects lying around were innocent, the sight of giant, crippled and one-eyed teddy bears, splattered with fresh blood, made him shiver. Nonetheless, he concentrated on his task, and for that, he had to find Mami first. He opened his backpack, and drew an MP5K from it, to defend himself should anything happen. He rather liked it: it was powerful, accurate, and small enough to fit his sniper rifle bag.

He wandered around the barrier for about ten tension-filled minutes, without any sight of familiars, witch, or Mami. Everything was silent, as if the world had stopped. And he stopped as well.

_Just where the hell is she?_

The answer came in the form of a cold, metallic feel on the back of his neck.

"Hands up. Now."

…_Fuck._

Only worse than the uncomfortable feel in the back of his neck was knowing that he had been made.

_But maybe… not yet._

He suddenly leapt sideways, pulling himself away from Mami's sights, while spinning around as he fell. He took aim at her legs: knowing she had healing magic, she'd recover fast. But he couldn't afford to be caught there.

A large boot to his weapon, however, made sure his plan didn't succeed. It was kicked away with so much strength that it bent in a straight angle, before flying out of sight, and Kazuhira flew back a few meters as well.

"No, no, this isn't the time to try anything fresh."

_Goddammit, she's strong…_ He thought, as he tried to get up, blinking his eyes from the pain. He was forced back down by the sight of the musket's barrel right in front of his eyes.

It was only then that Mami realized who she was pointing her weapon at. She did not believe it. _What the hell is he doing here?_

But that was not the only thing she saw. Behind him, laid a large bag, which had been ripped open by his crash landing. And she could spot several pieces of weaponry, including a large sniper rifle, peeking out.

Kazuhira realized his weapons were in sight, and looked at her. He knew that look. She was connecting the pieces.

_Oh, crap._

He had to say something. _Fast._

"S-shouldn't you be dealing with the witch?"

Mami pressed her musket against his forehead. It was too late for him to say anything.

"It's been taken care of."

* * *

><p><em>Salvation, uh?<em>

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Sam! Wake up! It's morning, you're gonna be late, Sam! Wake up!"<p>

The little witch yawned, as she slowly got up, with sleepy eyes, and hugged her penguin-shaped alarm clock, before turning it off.

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up…" She said, with elaborate runes appearing overhead, as she spoke.

She slowly dragged herself out of her classy bed, and couple of familiars transformed into a pair of bunny-shaped slippers. Samantha jumped onto them, and stumbled towards the kitchen, still sleepy, making puffy sounds as she walked, waiting to find her breakfast. There it was, on the table, just as always. Thus, she walked to the refrigerator to grab some milk.

But instead of milk, she found a thousand muskets looking at her from the inside.

"Oh, bollocks."

* * *

><p><em>I never gave up on it…<em>

* * *

><p>A gigantic explosion rocked the barrier, to the point where it started to crumble apart in a thousand pieces. Within a few moments, they were back at the no less creepy abandoned kindergarten.<p>

"Brito-san, uh? I would have never imagined…"

Mami's voice was something… beyond understanding. A mixture of feelings that could not be put into words, as she tried to connect every dot together.

Kazuhira was in deep trouble. But he was no fool. So he figured the best he could do in that situation was to play one.

"W-what was that place? I was just walking by-

Mami allow the muzzle of her musket to slide from his forehead to his temple, where she again applied pressure, and manually pulled the musket's hammer back.

"As I said, this isn't the time to try anything fresh."

Her feelings had become better defined: anger and ire, and even hate transpired from her voice. She slowly walked around Kaz, pinned down on the floor, while keeping her musket pressed against his temple.

"Were you the sniper at the abandoned building?"

Kazuhira was between Scylla and Charybdis. He was a good liar, but Mami outwitted him, and he would not be able to fool her. And yet, he could not tell her the truth. He wanted to. He desired to. Nothing would please him more than to let her know of their, and especially Homura's effort. But Homura would never allow it, and Mami would never accept it.

So he chose the only option he had at that moment. The grey area between truth and falsehood.

Silence.

"Humph. Very well, then."

Mami waved her free hand, and within a split second, magical threads wrapped around his limbs, raising him from the cold, dusty floor. He now hovered half a meter from the ground, with his arms extended, as if Christ on the cross.

"You did not target Homura Akemi. And ten days ago, I sensed a human presence inside a barrier: as soon as she learned that, she attacked me. She also had fire support at the candy witch's barrier."

She paused for a second, her eyes boiling with rage.

"You are her cohort. And you _will_ tell me everything you know."

Kazuhira's answer was again the same: silence.

After a few seconds, Mami grit her teeth, and summoned extra ribbons. Kaz's body was completely enveloped, not even a patch of skin left untouched, save for his face. The uncertainty of the situation, to be trapped in such a way, completely at Mami's mercy, was unpleasant to say the least.

But the worst was yet to come. Mami clenched her free hand into a fist, and the ribbons around Kazuhira tightened, as if he was being squeezed by an anaconda. She only did so for a split second, but it was still painful.

"I protect this city, and everyone in it. Thus, you should know I find this to be rather distasteful. But I will do anything to know what Homura is planning. She must be stopped."

He stoically held himself together, as he watched Mami rub her free hand over the musket's barrel, almost sadistically, as if sharpening a blade.

"_At any cost."_

* * *

><p><em>But everything I did so far…<em>

* * *

><p>"First Mami, then this greenhorn, and now you too?"<p>

The redhead held her spear at her shoulder, trying to feign strength, even after a lengthy and tiring battle. She might have fooled Madoka, and she might have fooled the bluenette that peacefully slept on the floor, knocked unconscious by a shield blow. But she would not fool her.

"I guess you're the irregular Kyubey talked about. I'm starting to wonder if it's too much trouble to have come here."

"Perhaps."

"Oh, but don't you worry, my dear." She said sarcastically, as she gave a gluttonous bite on a taiyaki she retrieved out of seemingly nowhere.

"I'm not going anywhere soon."

Wielding the spear on her other hand, she used it to vault over the alley's wall, escaping from the scene via the rooftops.

_Always the same…_

"Homura-chan, thanks for saving us…"

_And you too, no matter how much I try…_

"How many times must I warn you? Just how big of a fool are you?"

_Madoka… I'm sorry… but you must understand… whatever it takes…_

The pink-haired girl flinched at such words, leaning against Sayaka's body.

"I've warned you numerous times not to get involv-

She was interrupted by a buzzing sound in her hear. As she heard it, she was overcome by a strong sense of dread. It had passed too much time since she warned Kazuhira: the witch should have been dealt with long ago, and he'd be sure to report on it. Something was wrong.

"Stay away. For your own sake."

Homura quickly left the scene via the rooftops, and equipped her headset microphone.

"Kazuhira, talk to me."

Nothing could be heard from the other side, except muffled sounds, as if the microphone was inside one's pocket. Without warning, an agonized scream was heard. It was Kazuhira's, no doubt. The sound stopped after a while, and his heavy, elaborate breathing could be heard.

A few seconds later, Homura heard another voice. It was muffled, and barely discernable, but she recognized it.

"_I'll ask again. What do you know about Akemi-san's plans?"_

_Mami…?_

The slightest hint of terror filled her heart.

"Kaz, I'm on my way. Hold on!"

* * *

><p>…<em>has been towards redemption, not salvation…<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>Kaz, I'm on my way. Hold on!"<em>

Just… just how long ago had he heard that? Five minutes? Hours, days, years ago? He couldn't tell anymore. Time had lost its meaning long ago. Seconds, minutes, hours… they did not matter. There was only pain. The pain of feeling one's life being literally squeezed out of oneself, and to be completely at the mercy of another entity, one that would do whatever it takes to accomplish it's goal.

But he held on to those words. That promise of salvation. _She's coming. She will come._

"Again." Mami said, her voice bare of any emotion. No one would have ever predicted her bright, amber eyes could become so cold.

"What is she planning?"

But every man has its limits. No matter how strong they are, everyone has a breaking point.

He had reached his.

"We… she's trying to save you all… to save _us_ all…"

Mami again constricted him, with more strength than ever before. A loud, cracking sound was heard, and an excruciating pain immediately emanated from his thorax: he could feel he had just broken a rib.

"The truth, Brito-san. She already tried to feed me such ruses. I will not fall for-"

"That is the truth!" Kazuhira replied emotionally, almost insulted by her doubt.

"Everything she has done has been for your sake! For Sayaka's sake! For everyone's sake!"

**"LIES!"**

The blonde lost her temper, and instead of constricting him again, she bludgeoned his face with her musket's stock, breaking his nose. A large stream of blood ran down his left nostril and smeared the lower half of his face red. His lips were full with the taste of his own blood.

But this was nothing for him. Torture was one thing, but it's not like he hadn't been in a brawl before. The blunt hit was strong, but did not shake him as badly as the ribbons. What truly terrified him was to see Mami driven nearly to insanity.

Kazuhira struggled to breathe, with his broken rib aching badly at every breath.

"You tried to kill me! At her orders!" Mami shouted, madly, pointing at her long-healed hand. "And you dare saying you're trying to save everyone?"

"That… She had nothing to do with it. That was… my mistake. I assume full responsibility."

"You…"

Mami was boiling with fury. Kazuhira's face was as honest as there could be, but she was blinded. She clenched her right hand with such power that she crushed her musket, which fell to the ground broken in a thousand pieces. She only realized this seconds later. When she did so, she summoned a fresh one, and pressed it against Kazuhira's forehead, bending his neck back.

"You dare calling that a mistake?"

"…I cannot tell you just how much I regret that decision. But I, and I alone, must live with the consequences of that act. You have the right to exact revenge on me. So if it is reprisal that you desire…"

_Rika, I'm sorry…_

"…please, pull the trigger."

Mami's pupils widened, dazed by the boldness of the statement.

"What… how…"

She seemed again lost in the middle of an indiscernible mix of feelings.

"Just _what_ the hell are you?"

"A dead man." He answered, without hesitation.

The musket had not let go of it's grip on his forehead throughout the exchange, a mere finger pull away from having a dance with the angels.

Mami was hesitant, twitching and shivering. Slowly, but steadily, she lowered her gun, much to Kazuhira's relief. Both took deep breaths, easing the tension.

"I… am soldier of peace. Not an executioner." She said, after regaining her composure.

"I am happy to know that. But then…"

She might have lowered her weapon, but she had not released him from the ribbons' stranglehold.

"What will you do with me?"

Mami looked away from Kaz.

"I do not know yet.

But…"

In a lightning-quick movement, she scrolled over her musket with her free hand. The musket glowed yellow for a split second, with the light deforming and twisting around itself to form a gigantic cannon.

"TIRO FINALE!"

She fired it through the kindergarten's window, blasting away most of the wall and ceiling just with shockwave from her shot, and the giant, shiny bullet flew across the street, into an equally abandoned warehouse. A large explosion occurred upon impact.

"…to you, I shall have no mercy."

As the ceiling collapsed, the moon cast it's light upon them. Only then did Kazuhira realize how much time it had passed. But that did not matter to him, at the moment. His eyes focused on the black-haired girl that had gracefully landed a few meters away, wielding an assault rifle.

"Let him go."

Unwavering, Mami summoned a musket in each hand. She had again assumed a cold expression, although a fire burned inside her at the mere sight of the mysterious Puella Magi.

"Your presence is a threat to everything I swore to protect. Since your arrival, you have done nothing but disrupt everything in my life and that of those around me. I do not know what you have planned. But I do not care anymore. I am now certain that, whatever it is, it will bring death upon us.

And I _will not_ allow that."

"How many times must I tell you-

"Your lies will accomplish nothing with me."

Mami threw her left musket high in the air, retrieved something from inside her outfit with her left hand, and tossed it at Homura, before catching the falling weapon.

"Nor will your pity."

Homura knew well what the object was without even looking at it, and refused to catch it, dodging it instead. The Grief Seed, with a tire-shaped adornment on top, fell on the dusty floor, and slid across it before stopping at a pile of rubble.

"This is my one and only warning. Leave this city immediately. Or you will leave me no choice."

The black-haired girl did not even blink.

"Very well, then."

A single tear ran down Mami's left eye, contrasting with her imposing figure.

"I am a soldier of peace. Thus, it pains me to even think of doing this. But…"

A massive amount of muskets, enough to cloud the large moon, materialized overhead, aimed directly at Homura's chest.

"Homura Akemi, this is the end."

The musket battery fired a full salvo just as Mami finished her sentence, raining fire upon not only Homura, but everything in her close vicinity.

Her face distorted, as she squeezed every last bit of strength in her legs to dive to safety. She quickly got up, but had no time to admire the spectacular falling lights that just barely missed her: another musket battery erupted behind her, without warning.

_She couldn't have summoned this amount in so little time…_

Homura again called out to her lower limbs, gracefully leaping over the wall of fire that grazed the ground below her.

_…are these …traps?_

Mami cut the anchors of the threads that tied Kazuhira to the floor, and kicked him with her heel, sending him rolling through the floor and crashing through the wooden wall, onto the deserted street, out of harm's way. The kindergarten had collapsed for the most part, succumbing to Mami's indiscriminate fire, and the surroundings were taking quite a dent: the destruction would not go unnoticed to the population.

She was out of control. Not only had she planted enough traps to annihilate an army and then some, she kept on firing muskets and cannons manually, making it ever more difficult for Homura to weave through them.

But she continued to do so regardless, avoiding the deadly projectiles with unbelievable proficiency.

In doing so, Homura eventually landed right in the middle of where the kitchen used to be. The instant she touched the ground, four oversized cannons appeared at each corner of the room. She immediately prepared herself for another high jump, but a dozen more batteries materialized all around her.

No where to run.

But she had no need to.

In the fraction of a second that took the cannons to charge, she produced a ballistic shield, and held it on her right hand, using her magic to raise a glowing purple veil over her magical shield on her left. She jumped just in time to avoid the four massive rounds that trailed the ground, and used her shields to deflect whatever bullets she wasn't able to avoid.

By the time the assault was over, the ballistic shield had been pummeled to smithereens, but it had done its job. She discarded it, dispelled the magic over her shield, and landed gracefully. _On the exact same spot._

Mami was livid. She did not care anymore for tactics or efficiency. With a loud grunt, she extended her arms sideways, summoning dozens of muskets along the outline of her body.

_Enough._

She was a danger to herself, at this moment, and Homura was getting sick of this little game. She stopped time, and restarted just as she placed herself against Mami's back, instantly driving her shield to the back of Mami's neck. The blonde was stopped in its tracks, the muskets falling to the ground and disintegrating, as she was frozen where she stood, motionless.

"Hah."

Before she could react, yellow threads emerged from Mami's body, right form where she had been hit. Homura's arm was quickly enveloped, and soon enough, she was completely bound.

Mami sliced the ribbons off her neck with a powerful chop, turned around, and took a single step back. As the two exchanged deadly gazes, Mami started to summon muskets in the sky above her.

A dozen.

A hundred.

_A thousand._

Homura could not hide it anymore. Her terror was absolute.

"Homura!"

And so was Kazuhira's, watching the scene unfold form the outside, unable to do anything.

The blonde's reaction to their terror was summarized in a single, heartless word.

"Goodbye."

She slowly raised her right hand, ready to end Homura's life the moment she brought it down. The countless weapons that loomed overhead shimmered with the reflections of the moon and of the few street lights that remained unscathed by the battle. The reflected lights overlapped each other, giving the appearance of a single, metallic-glowing mass.

And Homura briefly wondered if that was how the Grim Reaper looked like. Tears, heavy tears started to run down her face.

_Madoka… I'm sorry… I… failed you…_

And Mami's hand finally came down.

…and she grabbed her neck with it. And then her chest, with both hands. But it was to no avail. She fell to her knees, screaming in agony. Her muskets faded away, one by one: she made a last effort to summon them back, but failed, falling on her back, as a staggering pain which could not be described overwhelmed her.

It took only a few seconds for Homura to realize it. And her fear vanished. But her terror didn't.

Mami's outfit disappeared, as she twitched and rolled on the floor. Her hairpin fell from her hair, into her silk smooth hand, right in front of her eyes. The core of the flower was not yellow, but black. And when it transformed back into a jewel form, it did not turn into her Soul Gem.

It was the last thing she saw.

* * *

><p><em>But... maybe I was wrong...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: Blaise Pascal, 17th century French philosopher, mathematician, and overall intellectual badass. This particular quote sends chills up my spine.**

**There's no Black Ops in the world that would keep me from writing this chapter. Still, I am taking a bit longer than I would wish to write them... writer's block, maybe? Ionno. I just know that this is the last chapter I write before vacations: they started today (WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :D), so from now on, I'll have a lot more time to write, and a lot less tension, at least until September.**

**Just a quick, and very simple question: do you think I would benefit from having a beta reader?**

* * *

><p><strong>So, we have two witches today:<strong>

**Ruth: The baseball witch. Her nature is competitiveness. She passes her days practicing her balls, aiming to improve them even further, just a bit faster, just a bit more curved. She will only respect someone who can hit her throws, and she is often disappointed at how weak the batters she finds are. But since she keeps improving, it's ever less likely or her to find someone like that.**

****PS: I hate baseball.****

**Samantha: The princess witch. Her nature is annoyance. Her barrier is her kingdom, and she is it's queen. She will not accept anything that is not according to her absolute rule, and will promptly throw a tantrum.**

**Maxis: The princess witch's minion, it's duty is to serve his master. It has the power to transform itself into whatever objected his master desires, but it's not very good, and thus it's often reprimanded by her.**

* * *

><p><strong>As for weapons, only the Arctic Warfare Magnum is left to describe. The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare family of sniper rifles has long been renowned as being incredibly accurate, and is in service, in several variations, in the military and police services of 16 countries (including Portugal. I've actually held one, when I visited the Marines's barracks). The Magnum version uses the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, and it's UK version, the L115A3, was used by Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison of the British Army to set the longest sniper kill record at 2,475 m (2,707 yd) in Afghanistan, in 2009.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Sheesh, that's a long AN. Well, as always, hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Damnatio Ad Bestias

It was… rather beautiful. Glimmering lights gave the place a warm touch, illuminating the comfortable-looking couches and tables, filled with the most delicious delicacies, in front of large windows that gave an overhead view to wonderful sights. One would dream to dine in such a fine place, just once in their lives.

It was pitiful, then, that every seat was empty. Despite the welcoming feel, it was void of life.

The center, beyond the tables, was vastly different, however. Beyond the ring formed by the restaurant, there was nothing but darkness. A completely barren land, where the lights from the outside did not enter, and in which no object or being ventured in.

None, except for two, which stood in the core. A large, golden moth, which hovered majestically over its domain, and the empty chrysalis it had emerged from.

And the former was not pleased, for the pair that now stood at the reception did not have an invitation.

* * *

><p>"All held the finite and infinite as unrelated. None could foresee that the history of the two would become one."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 8**

_**Damnatio Ad Bestias**_

* * *

><p>Homura shook the remainder of the yellow ribbons from her outfit, which rotted and disintegrated into thin air before touching the floor.<p>

"Can you walk?"

She looked up to the man leaned against her right shoulder, his hand hanging across the back of her neck. His eyes were filled with sadness, but he had not lost himself in it.

"Yeah… I'm fine… It's just a broken rib…"

Homura released him, and he instantly fell against one of the finely decorated pillars that marked the entrance. There laid an empty reception desk, and the menu. Despite the finely crafted stand it stood in, the menu itself was quite spartan. Apart from what apparently was the restaurant's name, _Chez Martha_, everything was written in incomprehensible runes. However, there were only two items on the menu. And he had a sneaky suspicion of what those two items were.

He clutched his chest, as a deeper breath caused a sharp pain in his thorax. He was more than capable of enduring it, but a broken rib always hurts like a bitch. Perhaps Kazuhira was concentrating on that pain, to avoid the other that lingered inside him. It was bad enough that yet another girl had fallen to the darkness. It was bad enough that it was someone he knew. It was bad enough that he saw it happen right before his eyes, without being able to do a thing. Again.

But Mami was under his watch. He had accepted to be her aegis. And this time, he knew the dangers, he knew what could happen, and he knew what he needed to do to prevent it.

And despite it all, nothing changed. Her fate was the same as her sister's. He failed.

Mami had become a witch.

**"FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"**

No profanity in the world would be able to express his feelings, so he exclaimed the first that came to his head, in a load, angry roar that emptied his lungs, pouring out his heart on it. Homura's hair flickered just slightly, such was the intensity of his cry.

"**WHY? WHY?** Why did it have to-

Kazuhira's voice slowly faded out, as he focused on his right hand instead. He punched the pillar he was lying on with all the strength he had, to the point where small cracks appeared on the majestic stone column's surface. His hand had been bruised just as much, but he did not even care. For a few seconds, the world appeared to have frozen, as he held his arm extended and his fist closed, leaning against the pillar.

"Kazuhira…

"I know…

Sparked by Homura's call, he slowly allowed his arm to fall down, and turned around, after passing his left sleeve in front of his eyes. His eyes were puffy, but he'd never let her see any tears.

"This is not the time. There is only one thing we can do for her now…

Kazuhira retrieved his fallen MP5K from the ground, and leaned back against the column with a grunt of pain. He knew well he was in no condition to take the bulk of the fight.

Not that he'd need to, with Homura there.

"To give her peace."

At the same time, Homura had retrieved her Howa Type 89 assault rifle from her shield, and pulled the charging handle, as she prepared herself to dive into battle.

"Stay back. I'll take care of-

Kazuhira didn't hear anything after her pause, as his attention diverted to the blue blur that approached his companion at an incredible speed.

"Look out!"

Kazuhira dived towards Homura, pushing her to the side, just narrowly avoiding the charge of a familiar that zoomed past them. He felt a gust of wind flying right by his side, and his left sleeve fell apart, the cloth being slashed just below his shoulder: a split second later and he would have been pierced. Homura sprang back up immediately, while Kaz did so at a much slower pace. The familiar hovered a few meters away from them, as if challenging the pair.

It was another moth, built at its master's image, but quite smaller, around half their size and wielding a large sword that blended seamlessly with its left arm. Its body was navy, and its wings of a lighter shade of blue. The likeness was striking, and both recognized it. Homura was mostly unaffected, but Kazuhira was shocked. To add insult to injury, the restaurant was no longer empty: on the farthest table, a seat had been taken by a blue-haired figure, its back turned to them.

He did not even wait for Homura to react. He instantly fired his weapon at the familiar, piercing it with multiple bullets. Caught by surprise by the barrage, it limped around, battered to a miserable state, trying to attack the invaders, but unable to as much as reach them. Ultimately, it was destroyed by a short burst from Homura's assault rifle.

"Homura… kill it. Now. Before…"

_Before… that?_

Homura had seen it before him, and this time it was her blood that boiled. Another moth, similar to the first, but colored in a dark pink, and with a couple of red ribbon-like appendages over its wings, accelerated towards Kazuhira, firing dozens of arrows from its wings. She quickly pushed him to the side, just in time to dodge the assault, as she ran on the opposite direction.

She tried not to, but her gaze diverted to the same table where the blue-haired figured had appeared: another one, pink-haired, had just appeared on the seat opposite to it. It had no face, yet it appeared to be enjoying a meal with its partner.

Such blasphemy would not be tolerated. Spawning a familiar… at _her_ image…

She'd make it pay.

Homura ignored the familiar, and rushed towards the core, into the darkness that enveloped the moth witch. Noticing this, it spread its large, golden wings, and propelled itself backwards, the air in front of it glowing like the most glamorous of jewels. Homura ignored all of this, and leapt forward at high speed, with a couple of grenades in her left hand, flying through the darkness with nothing but her target in sight.

If the witch had a face, it would have shown a large smile.

Homura came to a halt just as she crossed the fine dust released by the witch, crashing badly on the ground. Her muscles wouldn't answer her, and she could barely breathe.

_P-poison?_

The air that surrounded her was toxic. She wouldn't die from the toxins, but she was paralyzed, at the mercy of the witch, which started to approach her, slowly, as a wolf who circles around its prey, sadistically enjoying every second of built-up expectation for the meal to come. Its many appendages twitched about, eager to grab its foe, and even the antennae, drill-bit shaped, perked up in excitement. A truly gruesome sight that Homura was forced to watch, unable to even look away. As the witch approached, its jaws opened in four, revealing a large mouth with a ring of sharp teeth, each oozing a foul liquid.

And the main course was served.

Kazuhira fired a fresh magazine at the witch, but missed most: he was out of range for a submachine gun. And those that connected did not even distract the witch. Running out of options, he tossed his weapon away, and ran in Homura's direction, clutching his ribcage as he did so. He wouldn't make it in time. And he couldn't do anything even if he did. But he couldn't stop himself. If Homura died…

…_It'll be the end of us all._

And he ran to her, crossing from the finely cut marble floor to the endless shadow that lied ahead, illuminated only by the domain's queen. He too retrieved a couple of grenades from his belt with his right hand, still clutching to his chest with the left. The witch moved closer and closer to the frozen Homura, enveloped in a cloud as poisonous as it was beautiful. He had an idea… it was a shot in the dark, a huge gamble… but he had to try it.

He clenched his teeth around the pins of the grenades, removing both with a strong neck movement. The dice were thrown. _5 seconds._

But he'd forgotten about the pink moth. Coming from the outside, it again approached quickly, distorting the air in its wake, such was the speed its wings propelled it forward. Kazuhira saw it through the corner of his eye, but by then it was too late.

_4 seconds._

His legs veered off slightly to the left, trying to avoid the familiar but still in the witch's direction, and Kazuhira took a dolphin dive forward. But all of it was useless, the pink moth was as agile as it was fast, and kept him on its sights. The impact was unavoidable.

_3 seconds._

He did not even brace for impact, for it was useless. He kept his eyes open, trying to find the correct timing… even if that meant being plowed through. But the impact never came. Before he could understand what happened, the familiar flew off in a spectacular fashion, missing half of its body.

_2 seconds._

_Now!_

Just before he hit the ground, Kazuhira threw both grenades to Homura's left, outside of lethal radius. His thoughts disrupted after that, as he landed right on his broken rib, stunned to his spine by the hurt.

_1 second._

Homura watched the entire scene, unable to move, putting all of her hopes in the young man. Just as the familiar prepared to ram him, it was thrown away… by the witch itself. Seeing its minion enter the restricted grounds, it extended one of its appendages in its direction at an amazing velocity, delivering a deadly blow to it, which tore the pink moth in half and sent its mauled remains flying off to the outside.

And now she watched how the grenades bounced about, too close for comfort, as the witch leaned closer and closer…

**-BOOOOM-**

Both grenades exploded in perfect synchronization, without harming neither Homura nor the witch. For a moment, Homura wondered if Kazuhira had missed. Her doubts vanished when she felt the air blasted away by the explosion on her back. _Felt._ The poisonous cloud was dispersed by the shockwave, and it slowly dissipated.

It was Homura's chance. Although her movements were sluggish, she managed to throw the grenades in her hand down the witch's exposed mouth, distracted as it was by the initial explosions, before it could react. A list ditch attempt to swallow Homura failed due to a timely dodge, and the girl started to walk off, victorious. All the witch saw was the black-haired girl's back, as it saw its own body light up and be ripped apart, shouting in agony as it met its end.

Kazuhira, laid down on the ground, could merely whisper "It's over…", as he saw his last-ditch plan succeed, and the witch blew up in a glorious explosion, sending pieces, limbs and blood flying away in all directions.

_…Huh?_

But the barrier did not dissipate, and the agonized grunts did not stop, to the surprise of both.

The witch had survived – somewhat. Its limbs were torn off and splattered everywhere, slowly decaying, but its head remained somehow alive, attached to a savaged upper body and one of its four wings, burned nearly to the root. The wing piece twitched about, trying to act as makeshift legs for what remained of the once proud witch. But it did not work. The downed witch, now having lost its glamorous golden color as well, could do nothing but to lay on the cold ground, right next to the body of a young, blonde girl, a body that was once hers.

It was completely defenseless, but alive nonetheless. Homura approached it slowly, and drew her Desert Eagle from the shield. Carefully, she aimed at the center of the witch's head, ready to pull the trigger and end that wretched life. One bullet would do it.

"Wait."

Homura looked back: Kazuhira had stood up with difficulty, and walked towards her.

"Let me… let me do it."

After hesitating for a moment, Homura handed him her large handgun, and took a step back, watching as Kazuhira kneeled next to what remained of the witch, and gently waved his left hand through its rugged skin.

"Mami… I'm… so sorry…

He tried to keep his composure, and for the most part, did so. But Homura saw as a single, large teardrop fell on the witch, and it instantly stopped twitching, as if accepting its fate.

"I hope you forgive me…

Taking a deep, long breath after those words, he pulled the trigger. A single .50 AE bullet left the barrel, and buried itself deep into the ground, blowing the witch's head apart as it flew through it. With the queen finally put to rest, its barrier started to slowly dissipate, and for the second time, Kazuhira found himself back at the now completely unrecognizable kindergarten, holding Mami's cold, dead hand, and thus ensuring it wouldn't disappear with the barrier.

Homura did not like it: it wasn't the first time she'd seen a Puella Magi's lifeless body be dragged out of a barrier, and it never lead to any good. However, this time it would be different: Mami's body had been charred by the explosions, and the large burns would not go unnoticed. They couldn't leave it somewhere to be found, and she knew Kazuhira knew that as well.

He noticed her awkward look, and answered the question in her mind, after closing Mami's eyes with his index and thumb.

"We'll do what we must." He answered, with a mix of anger and sadness in his voice.

* * *

><p><em>And when I think about it, I have a feeling...<em>

* * *

><p>"Brrr!" The girl uttered, hugging her stomach tightly. She could still feel the multiple wounds and bruises her in body, even though they had quickly healed and vanished.<p>

"Sayaka-chan? Are you okay?"

"I'm anything but okay, Madoka. But it was just a cold shiver."

The pink-haired girl was lost somewhere between the relief of knowing her best friend was uninjured and the slight terror she had of Sayaka's current mood.

Nonetheless, she extended her hand, helping the swordswoman back to her feet. Her help was refused, however, and Sayaka struggled back up on her own. With her back turned to Madoka, she dispelled her weapons and armor, again donning her school uniform.

…_Sayaka, you idiot._

She clenched her fist, and after hesitating for a moment, she looked over her shoulder, and addressed her friend in a much softer and caring tone.

"I'm sorry, Madoka… but today wasn't a good day. Come, I'll take you home, before your parents start worrying."

"Y-yes, but what about-

"I'm fine, don't worry." The bluenette answered, interrupting her worried friend. This time, it was her who extended her hand, inviting the pink-haired girl to follow her.

"Today sucked, but tomorrow's a brand new day. Let's just get ready for it. I guess that's what we're best at, anyway."

* * *

><p><em>That, despite the blood, sweat and tears we have to face...<em>

* * *

><p>She could only describe it as being awkward.<p>

She'd seen blood, pain, injury and death multiple times, and had grown accustomed to it, to the point where she'd either feel no emotion or conceal whatever she felt.

But when it wasn't with Madoka, she'd step away, and leave the dead to be mourned by those close to them. And not even that, when the situation required.

"A bit more on that side, Homura."

So being there, in the dead of night, in the depths of the woods just outside of town, covered in dirt, shovel in hand, and standing six feet under, was not something she had ever envisioned.

"Okay, that's good."

Homura rose from the grave, and took Mami's body, enveloped in a while blanket, in her arms, and carefully passed it on to Kaz, who slowly laid it down on the bottom, and unfolded the blanket. Despite the unsightly burn in her left cheek, she looked beautiful, and appeared to be sleeping peacefully… even if she'd never wake up.

Kazuhira was much less emotional than before, maybe because he was simply handling a body, but more likely because he she all his tears before. With difficulty, and a helping hand from Homura, he climbed up from the grave. He'd wrapped up his rib cage tightly with bandages: it was painful, but at least it allowed him to move around, and would greatly speed up his recovery.

For a second that appeared to have lasted ages, both gunslingers stood at the foot of the tomb, looking down on Mami and her final resting place. It was very unpleasant for Homura: she simply wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Before we begin… Homura…"

"Huh?"

"Her Grief Seed."

Homura slowly retrieved the Grief Seed she'd collected, adorned with a cake slice-shaped figure on top. As she did so, Kazuhira drew his Beretta 92. Homura instantly understood what he was planning.

"Don't do it."

"She is still suffering, Homura. It's time to give her peace."

"Her Grief Seed will be useful in the future. I know she must be suffering, but it is for the best to keep it for now."

"She is a soul in pain." Kazuhira said, grimacing. "Not an object to be exploited. If you must do so, do it now, so we can give her closure."

"It wouldn't be efficient for me to use it now. And yes, you may be correct. But we must be pragmatic. We face a huge battle ahead, and we will need every help we can muster." Homura answered, coldly. Kaz's face did not waver at her words: if anything, his grimace deepened.

"Plus… she's not here anymore, but if Mami truly wanted to protect everyone, she would prefer us to keep her Grief Seed until the time comes to use it. It's the only way she can help us now."

Kazuhira, after hesitating for a moment, holstered his handgun with a sigh. He was clearly displeased, but understood Homura's reasoning. He left her side, and moved to the left of the makeshift tomb. Behind him, stood two crossed rifles, mostly buried into the ground, with the end of the barrels visible and crossing over each other. Homura immediately figured Mami was not the first girl to be laid to rest there.

And she was right: one of the rifles had "RIKA" carved onto it.

"Mami Tomoe. Defender of peace. Protector of the helpless. Guardian of this city."

Her eyes again focused on the man who stood tall above the fallen girl. The silver light of full moon, strong enough to pass through the forest of pines, allowed her to see that his short, mildly spiked hair, was not actually black, but a very dark shade of brown.

"You fought to protect everyone, taking the task upon your hands, even though you knew it would consume your life, and ultimately take it. I am sure you had your doubts, suffered immensely, and sacrificed a lot of what was dear to you, but that is what defines one's character, for true courage is not to have no fear, but to have fear and fight onward regardless."

His voice trembled slightly, but his face remained unchanged.

"It's unfair and unjust that your tale will go untold, you deserved to be hailed as the heroine that you were, and be set as an example for the world to follow. But your task was to protect us from the shadows. And you did so dutifully, not for fame, not for glory, but for what was right.

_The same righteous foolishness… _Homura thought._ But that is what drives his life. If he'd stop believing in it, he'd lose all hope…_

"Thank you. Thank you for everything. And rest assured, I, _we_, will not let this city and the world fall in disarray. For where lies the biggest shadow… there will also shine the most bright of lights. All your effort was not in vain. We'll take your burden, and will carry on the torch for you."

Carefully, Kazuhira retrieved two M4 carbines from his pick-up truck, which he had picked up from the garage of the supply depot, and placed them besides Mami's head, crossing them in order to reproduce the same effect as his sister's grave. He looked around for a second, and picked up a wild rose that rested at the root of a tall tree nearby. He proceeded to throw it down the hole, and it fell softly on top of Mami's bosom, as he again grabbed his shovel.

"May you rest in quiet slumber."

With that, he stuck his shovel into the pile they'd dug, and started to slowly bury Mami's body, first with small amounts of dirt, then full shovels as her body vanished, being taken to custody by Mother Earth. Eventually, Homura pitched in, but unlike Kazuhira, who stopped and breathed in through the process, her movements were steady, emotionless, mechanical, almost as if she was a robot. Kazuhira couldn't help but to notice it.

_Homura… why… why don't you feel anything?_

His question would go unanswered, as they did not spoke another word as the returned the soil back to its place. As they finished, Kazuhira leveled the top, said a quiet and brief prayer, and arranged with Homura to meet the following day at dusk, before they parted ways, with less than an hour left to dawn.

As Homura moved away, gracefully jumping over the tree branches, he could only hope that the rising sun brought a better day along. He hopped into his pick-up, and after looking into his tired eyes through the rearview mirror, turned the key. He doubted he'd get any sleep, but he was at least going to try.

* * *

><p><em>We have a chance...<em>

* * *

><p>"I… didn't know you and Mami are friends."<p>

The pair waved goodbye to Madoka, as she walked into her house. The large, polished windows lighted the surroundings with an orange tint, as it reflected the sun's weak light, nearly below the horizon.

"Yes, we were pretty close."

Homura told the girls that Mami had died fighting a witch at that spot… which wasn't completely false. At least he wanted to believe she fought against her inner demons to the very end.

From what Homura had told him, Madoka had cried, a lot, while Sayaka simply could not accept it. She got into an argument with Homura on the school rooftop, things heated up a lot, they nearly exchanged blows. Fortunately, that Kyouko girl showed up, took Sayaka away and talked to her, and eventually she calmed down and accepted her mentor's death.

But she had been down ever since. It'd been a week since that incident, and Sayaka simply hadn't been herself since then. This was they first chance they got to talk since then.

"The police are searching for her… you shouldn't talk as if Mami was dead." Kazuhira replied, feigning ignorance. He grimaced ever so slightly, too little for Sayaka to notice.

She seemed slightly startled with the reply, realizing her blunder. She remained calm, however.

"I know… I just have a really, really bad feeling about this…"

"Yeah… me too."

An moment of awkward silence followed, as they crossed a tall footbridge, from where, unlike the street below, the sun was still visible, albeit just barely. Kaz did not knew what to say, and Sayaka wasn't sure she wanted to say anything.

But eventually, she did.

"I didn't know you're friends, either."

"We don't really talk much" He answered, deceitful. "We're acquaintances at best. But I know she's a good girl, with a pure heart."

"Mami is more than a friend to me, Kaz… she's… we'll, you could call her my comrade in arms. You understand?"

"Yes… I understand what you mean."

_More than you could ever imagine._

"If she died… I don't know what I would do…"

"Well," Kaz replied. "remember what we talked about the other day? About our battles?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Everyone has something they fight for, that they strive to achieve. And if you say Mami is your comrade in arms, then you must have the same goal. Am I right?"

"…So far, yes." The bluenette answered, slightly embarrassed.

"Then, if anything happened to her" Kaz continued, with his voice trembling slightly as he said "anything". "the best way to honor her would be to continue onwards, and carry on her fight. Nothing would please her more than to see her dream come true, by your hands. And since you share the same objective, you just need to keep doing what you're doing now. If anything, with increased resolve."

"I suppose you're right." The girl agreed, a little more confident. "But it would be so difficult without her…"

"It's never easy, Sayaka-chan." He said, as they finally stopped in front of Sayaka's large apartment. "But remember that you're not alone. None of us are ever alone. Even is Mami isn't here, she's still with you. Even if only in spirit. Never forget that."

He gently poked Sayaka's forehead with his index and middle finger. She let out an "auch", and after hesitating a few seconds, attempted to respond in kind. Her task was much more difficult, as Kaz was a head taller than her. However, Kaz did not move, and allowed her to do it, but without appearing to have conceded it easily.

As she did so, Sayaka let out a quiet, but happy giggle. She sported a large smile, and her large, blue eyes appeared to become just a shade lighter. The sight warmed Kaz's heart.

_She's back._

"You know what, you're absolutely right." She said, in a jolly voice. "And… thanks, Kaz. Talking to you always helps me."

"Don't mention it. After all, we're friends… right?

"Yeah."

The automatic doors opened gently, as Sayaka entered the apartment block's lobby. She turned around one last time, in the middle of entrance, before walking in.

"We're friends."

* * *

><p><em>Even if I can't save you...<em>

* * *

><p>"Sayaka, we're going to dinner. You have pizza on the microwave."<p>

"Okay, mom!" The girl answered from her room, still taking her uniform skirt off. The thought of having pizza for dinner was quite pleasing.

"And take out the trash, please. See ya!"

After changing into more comfortable clothing, she headed to the living room before taking out the trash. Their parents never took out old newspapers, and piled them up, neatly folded on a table in the living room instead. Sayaka never read them, but thought it was unsightly, and every week she'd go around and trash them out, to her parent's protest.

She picked up the pile, and placed them next to the trash bags, upside down. Opening up a new bag, she prepared to throw the pile in, but her eyes fixed themselves on the back page of the oldest newspaper, and a large picture of a street with multiple buildings damaged. It was the second time she saw that sight.

The first was when she went there to lay a wreath of flowers.

"That's!…"

**LAST MINUTE NEWS**

Explosions on Mitakihara's eastern district: possible gang violence?

_Earlier this evening, multiple large explosions were heard in the largely abandoned industrial area near the eastern district of Mitakihara City. The causes of the explosions are unknown, but the area has long been plagued by prostitution and gang violence, leading to speculation that it might have been a confrontation between rival criminal groups. There is visible damage at the location, including a former kindergarten that was completely destroyed. The police has not yet released a formal report, but we have learned that at least one .50 Action Express casing has been found at the scene. This ammunition is used by the famous Desert Eagle pistol, raising questions whether imported weapons are being use for crime-_

Sayaka stopped reading after that, her whole body frozen. The word Desert Eagle flowed through her hand, as she recalled the multiple instances she'd seen the weapon in movies.

And the one time she'd seen it in real life. In the hands of a mysterious black-haired girl.

"…Homura?"

* * *

><p><em> I... no, we will save them...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote from: Ace Combat Zero. Author unknown.**

**The reason it took me ten days to write a chapter was because I kept forgetting to buy gum. Seriously. I need chewing gum to write, otherwise I'll just eat everything in the house. I think I ate half the fridge while writing the battle scene.**

**I won't use that as an excuse for what I perceive to be a weakness of mine. Battles are not my forte (not that I don't love them), and, in addition, Homura is a difficult character to script battles for since technically she could simply stop time and blow everyone away. I am, however, planning for some more battles down the line, and I hope I'll improve on them. In that aspect, I have to say it's impossible not to learn something from the other authors here. One such example is that, without realizing it, I started using the word "grimace" for some reason. O.o**

**Props to SPDUDE48 for the basic design on Mami's witch form. His actual design is quite different, but I based mine on it.**

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><p><strong>Martha: The moth witch. Her nature is solitude. She desires nothing but her domain to be bustling with life: yet she will not tolerate those who dare approach her. Take this in consideration when meeting her.<strong>

**Maria Theresa: The moth witch's minion, her duty is to welcome the guests. The task is made complicated by her personality: if she sees anything suspicious, she will attack.**

**Margaret: The moth witch's minion, her duty is to serve at tables. She is, however, very naïve and inexperienced, and often gets orders wrong and breaks plates. She is a good friend of Maria Theresa, and will rush to her help quickly.**

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	10. Veritas Vos Liberabit

**Amidst the eternal waves of time  
><strong>**From a ripple of change shall the storm rise  
><strong>**Out of the abyss peer the eyes of a demon  
><strong>**Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath.**

**The demon soars through dark skies  
><strong>**Fear and death trail in its shadow beneath  
><strong>**Until men united wield a hallowed saber  
><strong>**In final reckoning, the beast is slain.**

**As the demon sleeps, man turns on man  
><strong>**His own blood and madness soon cover the earth  
><strong>**From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz  
><strong>**Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light.**

*sigh*

_I have to admit, he has good taste in literature…_

Homura laid down the tiny book at her nightstand. She had found it at the bottom of the sports bag Kaz had given her, tucked in a corner. She wasn't sure whether it was a gift to her or it was simply left there forgotten, but she was almost frightened by how much it related to her history…

She sighed again, turned the hourglass on her nightstand, and looked at the little black book that now rested beside it. Even the title – _The Unsung War_ – seemed to mock her.

_A week and a half left… I couldn't keep Mami from perishing, nor Sayaka from contracting. It's not perfect, but it hasn't been bad either. Madoka seems to be over the sniper incident and Kyouko's acting as usual._

As the crescent moon rose from the horizon, Homura sat on the side of her bed, analyzing the events of this timeline so far. In essence, it hadn't been all that different so far. And that scared her slightly, for it might also lead it to end in failure, just like every other attempt.

But there was a wild card that had entered the game, the results of which she couldn't make out yet.

_Kazuhira…_

Without realizing it at first, the name gave her a bit of comfort. For a cool and collected person like Homura, analyzing every single event and possibility was a must. So, normally, a factor as unpredictable as him would unease her. However… that unpredictability, that feeling of not knowing what could happen because of him… it made her perk up a slight smile in the corner of her mouth.

Because she'd read, observed, dissected, and acted upon everything and everyone around her so far, and no matter how much she tried, the results had always been the same. Mitakihara demolished. Everyone around her drowned in despair. Madoka dead, or worse. And her own heart and soul shattered, fated to repeat everything again.

So that new element Homura could not figure out could be the key to end the wretched cycle. Unwittingly, and contrary to her cold character, she hung on to that hope. She embraced it. It was too late to back out now. This was the path she had taken this time… and she prayed that it was the one that would lead her to her Elysium.

Slowly, she got up, and walked to the main room, where the giant pendulum that endlessly swung back and forth above her. Pouring down coffee on a mug from a thermos, she started to review her data on Walpurgis for the billionth time, sending her magically enhanced screens back and forth, as she retrieved the date she wanted to observe. Spawn location. Reaction to attacks. General movement and offensive actions. Areas of danger to civilians.

Immersed as she was in her research, she was barely able to react in time as a massive volley of blades broke through her windows, violating the peace of her household.

* * *

><p>"In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 9**

_**Veritas Vos Liberabit**_

* * *

><p>Homura sprang back to her feet immediately, having witnessed the projectiles fly dangerously close above her head. She drew her Desert Eagle in a flash, and took aim. Her eyes scanned the empty window frames, an icy wind blowing into the apartment through them.<p>

Before any foe came to sight, another relentless wave of blades flew in, forcing her to gracefully weave through them. A number of them hit the floating screens dead on, causing them to lose their power and collapse to gravity's heavy hand, oozing a thick black fluid. Homura was, however, unscathed.

_That was… too easy._

Being cool and collected, even in battle, had it's advantages: she realized immediately it should have been much more difficult to avoid the large number of swords, if not impossible. It couldn't have been simple bad accuracy. Their intent wasn't to kill: just to wreck havoc.

Her brain had a sudden flash, and only then did she realize those swords, those beautiful blue cutlasses, could only belong to single person. Homura frowned at the thought, and again looked at the windows, the assault having stopped. This time, however, they were not empty: a single black figure stood tall at the farthest window. A street light cast its light behind it, making it nothing more than a mere shadow, not a trace of color in it. The figure held a sword in each hand, and its cape flew high with the wind.

Slowly, the figure walked inside, back straight, head high, shoulders aligned, its cape slowly falling to its back as it did so. Coming into light, across the room from Homura, the shadow revealed itself to be who Homura predicted it to be, but desired the less.

"Sayaka Miki. What do you think you're doing?"

Sayaka came to a halt, maintaining some five meter distance from Homura. She made no unnecessary movements, maintaining a posture so correct it was ominous. She didn't even blink.

"You know why I'm here."

A chill ran up Homura's spine, but she closed her fist and refused to give the bluenette the pleasure to see her affected. She'd suspected it since she identified her, but she did not want to believe it was possible.

"If this is over Mami again, we have already-

"Shut your filthy mouth, whore."

The swift reply came as a shock to Homura. Sayaka, for all her imperfections, very rarely swore. And yet, she did not hesitate to do so, her voice as cold as the ninth circle of hell.

"I will make you pay for your sins."

Homura closed her eyes. There was no way to get around it: Sayaka knew she was involved in Mami's death. But to what extent? Did she know about her end? Did she know about Kazuhira?

_Wait, did he… no, he'd never do that._

In any case, Sayaka was more than hostile. She slowly raised one of her swords, and slid the blunt end across her other hand, at her eyes' level.

"Your blood for Mami's blood." She said, slowly, putting a lot of emphasis on "blood".

"I know you won't believe me" Homura said, trying to avoid a battle. "but I did not kill Mami Tomoe, despite whatever you may have heard or seen."

A loud _clang_ filled the room, as Homura was forced to use her shield to block a lightning-quick sword strike.

"You shall not say her name." Sayaka said, in a low, terrifying voice. In her deep, blue eyes, Homura saw nothing but death, as the two exchanged looks, locked where they stood, neither shield nor sword wavering.

"Kneel, and accept your divine punishment."

"I will not, _Sayaka Miki_." Homura spat, filling the last words with venom.

Sayaka immediately struck her with her other sword, forcing Homura to defend herself again.

"Then you will suffer."

Sayaka pushed herself back by pulling her sword forward, and immediately rushed back at Homura, this time attacking with all she had, swinging her cutlasses left and right, giving the black haired girl no space to even breathe, such was the ferocity of her attacks. Dodging them all was impossible, and she had to block most strikes with her shield, the blades pounding off of it with an astonishing force, causing Homura to shake with each blow.

_Dammit, I can't keep this up for much longer!_

Slowly, Homura was driven back against the wall by the relentless assault. Sayaka continued to attack her, a small, sadistic smile perking up in her cold face. As Homura was recovering from a blow with her left sword, she struck her high with her right one. The result was exactly what she expected: Homura's defense caused her whole body to tremble.

_Check-mate, bitch._

Sayaka pulled her left arm back, and trusted it in a forward stab, aiming the cutlass at the exposed neck to her distracted foe. Homura noticed it just in time, and pulled her head to the side, the blade missing her neck by less than nothing.

But Sayaka recklessness worked in her favor. The cutlass buried itself deep into the wall behind her, and before the swordswoman could let go of it, Homura drove a breathtaking knee blow to the bluenette's stomach, causing her to flinch and stumble several paces back, coughing and breathing heavily, leaving her at Homura's mercy for a few moments.

She could have killed her there. Every cell in her body yearned to. Sayaka, for all her sense of justice and pride, was always a hindrance in her way, and a source of despair. If it wasn't for Madoka's friendship, and the fact that Sayaka was, in the end, just another victim, she would have had no problem disposing of her hastily, be it on previous timelines or right there.

Yet, those motives were important enough to stop her. No need to kill her. Not yet, at least. Homura could also knock her unconscious again, but that would accomplish nothing. She had just one card left to play. But before anything, she would play it.

"I'll tell you again: I did not kill Mami!" Homura yelled, surprised by her own display of emotion, as Sayaka tried to regain her composure. "I tracked a witch across town, but by the time I got there, Mami was already dead. I couldn't do anything to save her. Do you want me to apologize? Fine: I'm sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't save her. But I did not kill Mami Tomoe!"

Sayaka raised her head in the blink of an eye, her gaze crossing with Homura's. She didn't think she'd say that much, or that she'd display emotion just to give a last chance to Sayaka, but it was fine. It was only partially false, anyway.

_I killed a witch… nothing more_.

But her gamble failed. Homura could only watch as she saw Sayaka's eyes darken, her forehead contracting, her neck muscles extending, her cape waving just slightly as the girl gained a blue aura around her.

"You… You…"

_Dammit._

Homura immediately put herself on guard. Sayaka was a volcano of fury about to erupt. Her cutlasses started trembling just slightly, such was the strength she gripped them with.

"I'm… gonna… **KILL YOU!**"

Sayaka again rushed at Homura, but this time wildly, shouting and screaming like a barbarian as she sliced forward, not caring if she hit air, wall, couch or flesh. She'd lost all focus, and looked closer to a madman than a middle schooler. Homura thus had a much easier time avoiding the careless attacks.

But the recklessness also made her attacks completely unpredictable. Homura easily blocked a left blow, but was scared out of her life as she saw another just missing her shoulder.

_What the-_

She didn't even have time to complete her thought.

"Argh!"

Homura's left arm was immediately stabbed by a quick strike from Sayaka, driving the blade half way through her flesh and muscle, and burying itself on the wall, pinning Homura down. She grunted in pain, grinding her teeth, and Sayaka, with a large, malevolent grin, drew her other arm back, ready to mercilessly strike her deadly blade at Homura's heart.

"**DIE!"**

The bluenette grabbed the cutlass with both hands, and recklessly flung herself against Homura, her heart filled with a vengeful rage, nothing in the world mattering but _her_ death.

The tunnel vision turned out to be costly, however, as she didn't saw the large shield being bashed into her face until it was too late. She again stumbled back, but Homura would not stop there, this time. With effort, she pulled the blade out of her arm, approached Sayaka, and gave her a powerful, wrathful right hook across her face, sending the girl flying and skidding across the floor, until she hit the wall on the other side. A squirt of blood flew out of her mouth, and stained Homura's garments.

Sayaka managed to do what her former selves had never been able to: she'd pissed Homura off. Badly. And she'd pay the price.

Disregarding all retrains she had put on herself, Homura pinned the girl down with her boot, and retrieved a weapon from her shield. She was looking for her Desert Eagle, but her rage caused her to pick up the Barrett .50 Cal instead. She did not even noticed it, however, and effortlessly aimed the massive rifle at Sayaka's head. How ironic it would be to kill her with a weapon where "Aegis", Athena's shield of protection, had been engraved.

Not that she cared.

"Sayaka Miki. You life brings nothing but despair and death to those around you."

The roles had changed. Homura now had the same dead, emotionless eyes Sayaka had displayed before.

"Despite everything everyone tells you, you keep being a fool who brings forth disaster. I will not allow you to do that. I will not allow you to hurt Madoka like you have.

"And if you aren't willing to change… I'll end your life right here!"

For a second, Homura could have sworn she saw the old, innocent Sayaka that helped her with math the first time she saw the shy, scared twin-tailed girl in the scared eyes she now presented. But it didn't faze her. If it did… she would have died long ago.

And so, she kept her finger on the heavy trigger, a finger pull away from giving the girl a sour goodbye.

*cling*

But before she was able to, her attention was diverted by a metallic sound she heard across the room, near one of the windows. The sound repeated itself, getting lower and lower, but ever closer. It took her a second too many to see the small, white canister that slowly bounced and rolled near her foot.

_No!_

She immediately dropped everything and hit the deck, arms crossed, eyes closed, ready for an explosion that would surely leave scars on her. But the "shhh" sound she heard was far from an explosion. And only she started coughing did she realize there wasn't going to be any.

Her room had been filled with a cloud of thick white smoke, to the point that she could barely see her hands. She instantly ran back to Sayaka, but she wasn't there: the girl had used the cover of the smoke to escape. Homura knew her apartment well enough to navigate without sight, and ran to the windows on the other side, the smoke getting thinner and thinner as she approached them. Sayaka had definitely run through there, her dirty boots leaving footprints on her clean floor. Homura looked out the window, but the street was empty. She was gone.

Homura punched the wall in anger, as she tried to calm herself down. Whatever her course of action would be, she couldn't allow herself to be overwhelmed by feeble emotions. Eventually, she did so, and focused her magic on her hand, bringing it down in a whip-like motion that cleared the smoke out of her household.

Just as she was about to turn her back, a sudden sight made her heart skip a beat, and she hurriedly gazed at the rooftops in front of her. She could have sworn she saw a shadow standing there… but there was nothing there.

_Don't tell me…_

She trotted back to where she stood just moments ago, and picked up the now-empty grenade, dropping it instantly as it was scalding hot. However, she did see it was military-grade. She instantly ran to the center table, and put on her headset radio.

"Kazuhira, talk to me."

Nothing but silence from the other side.

_Answer me, damn you._

She called him again, but a minute after, still no answer.

Homura frowned. Things were not looking good.

* * *

><p><em>I don't know if we can do it…<em>

* * *

><p>"What? Sayaka didn't come home last night?"<p>

The news came as a deep shock to the pink-haired girl, as Sayaka's absence that day hadn't worried her much. It was just Sayaka being Sayaka, after all.

"Y-yes, if I see her, I'll call. Please tell me if she comes home. Uh-uh. G-good evening to you too."

The sun was just about to set in the horizon, to which Madoka had a spectacular view from the park. Normally, that would have meant it was time to go home.

But not that day.

* * *

><p><em>But I will believe in it, always<em>.<em>_

* * *

><p>"I don't know what you're thinking, but we have to talk."<p>

Again, nothing but an eerie silence. The uncertainty was almost killing Homura: in the blink of an eye, every plan she had had gone south. She had to sort things out, fast, lest things get even more fucked up than they already were.

An entire day had passed, and the little hope she had that Sayaka settled down had vanished. And so, she engaged in pursuit of the runaway Puella Magi, ignoring the strong wind and mild rain that blessed that night. Nothing at the park, save for a junkie shooting up in a dark corner. Kyousuke's street was abnormally devoid of life: usually, the angry noises on engines and horns would be drowned out by his beautiful violin. But that night, none could be heard. The same scenario occurred by Mami's place.

"Kazuhira, answer me, now!"

Another hour, another message without response. Although, to be fair, cell phone signal in that area was pretty bad, so radios might suffer as well. She was on the outskirts of town, after all.

"Are you looking for her, too?"

She'd gone there as it had been one of Sayaka's hideouts in previous timelines, but Homura's search there was fruitless. And of course, visiting the ruined Sakura Cathedral always came with the risk of running into a certain rash girl.

"Yes. I figure she could have run here, since she…

_Ran here before._

"…seems to have grown attached to you." Homura answered, blushing slightly midway. Kyouko did not notice it, as she blushed lightly as well. With agility, the girl jumped to the rooftop, her red hair flickering with the wind like wild flames, and sat next to her interlocutor, on one of the few wooden beams that hadn't collapsed with time.

"Yeah… I heard from that Madoka girl, Sayaka's been missing since last night. I've been searching for her, but… still nothing. Figured I'd come back here and think things straight, but here I find you perched up on the roof."

Homura had nothing to answer, so she simply sat there, her face unchanged. She could have moved on, but in truth, she was doing the same. The whole ordeal seemed like a snipe hunt to her: when Sayaka had these fits in the past, she had never found Sayaka. There was only one location that was consistent: the train station.

…_but no point in going there. She only ends up in there when it's already too late. Might as well search anywhere _but_ there… but where?_

"I suppose you don't have any idea-" Kyouko asked casually, trying to hide her own lack of clues, but was promptly interrupted.

"If I had, I would have found her already."

The red haired girl looked down for a second, abnormally ignoring the fact that she'd been interrupted. She was truly worried for Sayaka.

But that instant, something irked her. She was worried about Sayaka: she had all the reason to. She confided to Sayaka, and for the fool she was, she had grown to love her livelihood, her stubbornness, her character… to _love her_, maybe. But she'd seen nothing but a bottomless pit of coldness from Homura towards her. So why in the world would she care about finding her?

It took her but a few moments to connect the dots.

"That girl's not been herself since Mami kicked the bucket."

"It's fool-

"And you had something to do with it."

Homura froze.

"I thought we had closed-

"Do you take me for stupid or something?" Kyouko replied, angered. "You've been nothing but a cold-blooded bitch towards Sayaka, and now you're suddenly looking for her. Doesn't add up."

"Think what you want." Homura answered, looking away from Kyouko's fiery eyes.

"Did you kill Mami?" Kyouko shot, without hesitation.

"If I said I didn't, would you believe me?" Homura answered, her eyebrows frowned.

Kyouko paused for a second, and looked down. The ruined interior of the cathedral was clearly visible through the large termite holes on to wooden ceiling.

"You did, didn't ya?"

Kyouko's gaze was as serious as Homura had ever seen it.

"I've already given you my answer. If you choose not to believe me, I won't be able to stop you."

Kyouko flinched a little. Her gut told her she did it, _she fucking did it_, but, at the same time, her mind told her the opposite. Homura might have been a stone-cold, uncaring, hateful brat, but she wasn't an outright murderer. Kyouko could tell, she had spent her share of time around that kind of human trash.

"I didn't care much for Mami, but she was a good girl." She said, neutrally. "I know this is a shitty world, but still, she didn't deserve to die."

Homura didn't respond. She knew Kyouko understood her death, those words were simply her way of mourning her. And they were a better way to do so than how Sayaka reacted. That was one of reasons why she had always considered Kyouko to be an important ally… when she survived, that is.

"I'll go look for Sayaka again. If I find anything, I'll tell you." Kyouko said, hopping off and landing on one knee on the ground below them. Homura mustered a "Thanks", and Kyouko went on her way.

"Wait!" Homura called, just before the red-haired girl got out of sight.

"Uh?"

"What we agreed to, in regard to Walpurgis Night." Homura asked. "Is it still up?"

"Of course it's still up." Kyouko replied. "It's not like I have a choice, I'm not planning on running away any time soon."

Homura sighed in relief, although Kyouko didn't see it.

"But that doesn't mean I'll forgive you if you're the one behind all of this." She added, before running through the tree-laden path back to town.

* * *

><p><em>Even if we can't save them, even if we die, even if the world ends, come heaven or hell.<em>

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, have you seen this girl?"<p>

The stranger leaned over the pink cell phone, whose screen showed a picture of a smiling, blue-haired middle schooler.

"No, sorry. I'd definitely remember her if I'd seen her…" He answered sheepishly.

"T-thanks anyway, mister." Madoka answered, as they parted ways. She wondered for a second how she had ended up in the mall, before approaching another stranger.

"Mister, can you please tell me if you've seen this girl?"

"Let me take a closer look."

The man leaned very close to Madoka, uncomfortably close. He took a good look at the cell phone for a few seconds, before yanking it out of her hands and making a run for it. Madoka still shouted a "Hey!", but didn't try to pursuit, and doubled back out of the mall. Right now, she had more important things to worry about.

_I need to find Sayaka-chan…_

* * *

><p><em>If we stop believing, it's all over…<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>I know you can hear me.<em>"

_Dammit, why won't you shut the hell up…_

A whole day hasn't been enough to sort things out in his head. The events of last night were still vivid in his memory… not least because he was living the consequences for them.

_Out the frying pan… Dammit, why did I let her out of my sight?_

"_You know what's happening to her. You've seen it before."_

He never thought she'd run away. Now, Sayaka was alone, probably being consumed by thoughts of despair, loss, and god knows what else that was in her mind for her to attack Homura like that…

And in the process, he had also probably lost all of Homura's trust. But right now, that was the least of his worries. He had to find Sayaka, _now_. Or…

_No, dammit, no! It's not too late! I'm not losing her too! Not Sayaka!_

And so the Kawasaki Ninja roared through Mitakihara's streets, ignoring red and green lights, leaving behind a large trail of sprayed water. Kaz had been riding since dusk, and still had no clue where to find her, not even where to look. But he had to. Somehow, anyhow. She had to be somewhere, and he _would fucking find her_ before it was too late, at any cost.

10 PM.

11 PM.

Midnight.

1 AM.

Nothing. But he couldn't give up. With sweat running down his forehead, his whole body soaked by the heavy downpour that now purified the city, he revved up the ZX-10R's engine to the redline, nearly pulling a wheelie along the deserted street. His breathing was heavy, and his arms were shaking: riding for that long was taking its toll on him. He shook it off, and drafted around the corner, into a long side street that ran along the train tracks, throttling again afterwards.

But the bike wouldn't answer him.

_What the-_

"FUCK!"

The fuel gauge was pointing at E. Ignoring a few more throttles, the bike rolled slower and slower, eventually coming to a halt.

"Move, you stupid piece of shit!"

Kazuhira cried in fit of rage, and punched the fuel tank with all the strength he had left, laying his head upon his forearms. He wasn't going anywhere.

Slowly, he pulled himself back on the saddle, and looked at the clouds through his fogged up visor, watching as they grew darker and darker, and the torrential rain intensified. A lightning bolt struck a lightning rod a block away, causing a loud thunder that shook him to the spine. It was as if the gods were laughing at the tiny ants that lived below. He finally lowered his head, and tried to think of what to do next. But his mind was completely blank, forbidding him from even remembering where he was. He was… lost. Lost in a meaningless labyrinth of empty streets, walls of rain, bright street lamps, endless asphalt, flying cars, his own fear, death, and nothingness.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, and the blank turned blue. A vivid, bright blue. All he saw in front of him, above him, inside him, was blue. For he had just seen, far off across the numerous train tracks, sitting in a deserted station, a blue haired girl, the one he longed to see.

_SAYAKA!_

A surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins, Kazuhira jumped off the bike, not caring if it had been left parked in the middle of the street, and ran as fast as his legs allowed him, up the stairs of the footbridge that separated him from the station, never taking his eyes off the bluenette, and the red-haired girl that talked to her over a snack.

And as he saw them talk, his eyes focused on Sayaka's right hand, revealing Kazuhira's worse nightmare. His heart fell to his feet, and his legs came to an abrupt halt.

"H-her Soul Gem…"

He didn't realize immediately he had vocalized that thought. Or that he had had his headset on all the time.

"_I-is it clouded?"_ A startled Homura questioned, her voice quite a few octaves higher than usual.

Kazuhira mechanically retrieved his Arctic Warfare, and mounted the bipod on the railings. His mind had shut down, and his instincts took over. End… her… pain…

"_Kaz… if it's almost black… then you know what you have to do…"_

He adjusted his shoulder to the sniper rifle's stock, and took aim, zeroing in on Sayaka's hand, and the corrupted jewel she held in her hand.

"_You need to shoot it… now… before…"_

Sayaka revealed the Soul Gem to Kyouko, who jumped from her chair, looking at the terrifying sight, at a loss for words. But she was in for an even more shocking sight, as Kaz prepared to pull the trigger.

* * *

><p><em>"Brother… I don't want to become a witch…There is only one way out…"<em>

_"…Kill me."_

* * *

><p>At the last moment, memories more painful than the worst of Satan's tortures overpowered him, and he screamed in pain, both hands clutched to the sides of his head, knelt on the floor.<p>

"I-I can't…" Was all he could muster.

"_TAKE THE SHOT!" _Homura shouted, somewhere between anger and desperation.

* * *

><p><em>"After all, we're friends… right?<em>

_"Yeah."_

_"We're friends."_

* * *

><p>"<strong>SAYAKA!<strong>"

His cry was loud and powerful, drawing both girl's attention away from the nearly-black Soul Gem. With power he didn't thought he had anymore, he stood up, and ran down the stairs, throwing himself at Sayaka and hugging her as tight as he could. As she was shaken, a single teardrop fell from Sayaka's tearful eyes, barely missing her Soul Gem and landing on her skirt.

"K-Kazuhira?"

He immediately noticed Sayaka's voice was sluggish, as if a talking doll running out of batteries, and her thought and movement were off as well: she didn't even try to hide the blackened Soul Gem from him. Her eyes could barely track him.

"Hey, _who the fuck_ are you?" Kyouko bluntly asked, opening her arms wide.

"Sayaka-chan, I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" Kazuhira said, completely oblivious to Kyouko's presence, his heart pounding inside his chest.

"B-but what are y-you…"

"Listen to me. You haven't realized it yet, but you are gravely injured. We need to heal you right- Sayaka-chan?"

The bluenette's eyes had completely lost their focus, and her head started to fall back, as if losing support.

"Sayaka! Keep talking to me!"

Sayaka stopped blinking, and her hands fell to the side as well, her corrupted Soul Gem landing on the concrete floor. Kaz gave her a couple of soft slaps in the face, but obtained no reaction.

"Don't let it take over!"

Her eyes dimmed, losing their life, and her heart stopped beating. Both Kaz and Kyouko realized this, as they were holding on to her arms tightly. With a loud _crack_, the glass that encased the darkness within her Soul Gem broke, and pure evil started seeping out.

"YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER, YOU'RE ONE OF US!"

The next instant, both Kaz and Kyouko were thrown away by a powerful wind blast, Kyouko holding on for dear life to a railing, and Kaz crashing back-first against an information panel. Sayaka's body fell to the ground like a rag doll, and was thrown away by the ethereal wind as well.

And slowly, the world around them started to tear itself apart at the seams.

"**DAMN YOU!**"

* * *

><p><em><em>And, right now, it's far too early too give up…<em>_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: Blaise Pascal, again.**

**Pascal is the king of quotes, Venari Strigas is the king of Madoka's OST, and I'm the king of laziness. All is well.**

**Sayaka is my favorite character… so it pains me a little to write this chapter, but that's how things go. If you've read Alpha and Omega, you know where she is right now :)**

**Oh, and "Billionth time" isn't actually the billionth time. Homura is strong (not really, her cold façade is a mere attempt to shield herself from the pain, but that's my opinion and would take ages to discuss), but neither her, nor Chuck Norris, nor anyone would be able to keep their sanity after spending decades, centuries, or, as some people suggest, even millennia, on that cycle. I don't believe Homura lived through that many timelines. Certainly not only five, but also certainly less than fifty, and most likely a lot less than that. If I had to guess a number, I'd say… 13.**

**And, as always, enjoy!**


	11. Inurinens In Ignota

The ethereal wind slowly started to fade, but not before washing all traces of reality away, and replacing with its own twisted and wretched version. The black-and-white checkered floor grew outwards and morphed in an irregular fashion, erupting into inverted mountains and twisted peaks. Long train tracks quickly wrapped themselves around the peaks, although most of the tracks remained suspended in midair, bended in sharp angles in all directions. Miniature, smokeless steam locomotives spawned over them, and started to run across, ignoring gravity and other physical laws that had no meaning in such world. Ignoring all of this, mysterious musical notes flew around aimlessly, describing marvelous classic pieces that no one would ever have the opportunity to interpret.

The railing Kyouko had held on for dear life finally dissolved, and she was thrown away momentarily, but she managed to hold her ground against the ever slower wind. The same applied for Kazuhira, who fell to its knees as soon as it stopped, driving a hard punch to the ground.

Besides him, Kyouko stood still, overwhelmed by the events, unable understand the sudden mutation of the world around her. It took the perplexing sight of Sayaka falling weightlessly in a pit of seeming nothingness to snap her out of it.

"SAYAKA!"

With a spark of red light, she donned her Puella Magi outfit and spear, and jumped off to Sayaka's rescue. The moment she moved, however, the surreal world around her came to life, train tracks wildly erupting from the ground and throwing large carriage wheels in her direction. With mastery, she dodged the wheels as they crashed into the ground dangerously close to her. As she got within range, she took a strong leap and caught Sayaka's falling body, embracing it as hard as she could.

"You idiot, are you ok? Saya-

**-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!-**

Kyouko's mind was instantly thrown off, as a loud, acute screech of pain that would bore into anyone's mind echoed through the wretched world. It sounded strikingly, no, horrifyingly similar to Sayaka's voice.

"The hell?

Only then did Kyouko see the source of everything that was happening. A cloaked, towering figure stood in front of the pair, sporting a scale-clad tail and several swords stuck on its back, ornamented with an unknown coat of arms.

A witch.

"Who the hell are you?" Kyouko screamed at the figure, enraged. "What have you done to Sayaka?"

The witch was quick to answer, train tracks erupting wildly around it, guiding wheels in Kyouko's direction. She dodged a couple of them with difficulty: carrying Sayaka in her arms heavily encumbered her movements.

_Dammit, I can't keep this up!_

"Sayaka, do you hear me?" She said, in a low, soft voice, as she slid underneath another wheel. "I need you to wake up now, o-okay?"

But Sayaka's eyes remained shut, and Kyouko, holding back a tear, looked again in front of her… just in time to see an even larger wheel in collision course, too close to dodge.

_No!_

Before it could do her any harm, the wheel was incinerated by a mysterious explosion. However, the force of the explosion threw her back in the air, but she managed to land safely next to Kazuhira, who had been frozen on his knees the entire time.

"Stand back.", a voice said. Kyouko looked to the source, but she saw nothing but a flash as the figure that stood there disappeared into thin air. The next instant, a grenade exploded right on the witch's helm, creating a large fireball and dazing it.

The source of the mysterious explosions became immediately clear.

"Grab on." Homura said calmly, as she appeared in front of the pair, both hands extended back.

"You…" Kyouko replied, her every word filled with venom. "You even dare to show up? After what Sayaka told me? I'm not going-

Homura had no time for Kyouko's shenanigans. She quickly grabbed Kazuhira's unresponsive arm, and froze time, leaving both the spearwoman and the bluenette petrified in a white-ish haze.

"Kazuhira, grab Sayaka's body, I'll take Kyouko. Do not let go of me, or you'll be frozen as well."

But the young man did not answer her call, caught in a trance that Homura could not understand. A musical score flew in between them, circling around Kazuhira once, ignorant to the drama that unfolded in front of it.

"Kaz! Right now, I need you to function! We don't have time to waste! We're getting out of here, _now_!"

Kaz's head sprang up, as if had just been called back to Earth. He didn't utter a sound, but complied and picked up Sayaka, placing her lifeless body on his left shoulder, as Homura did the same with Kyouko. He dragged his feet as he ran, moved more by Homura's arm than his own legs, as they crossed over a train track that led away from the witch, the world around them becoming emptier and emptier as they did so. Eventually, the track ended, and Homura slashed the air with her arm, creating a portal of white light, beyond which the real world lied.

As his feet touched the cold checkered floor of the train station, Kazuhira immediately feel to his knees again, and gently placed Sayaka's body on the floor. Homura sighed, and put down Kyouko, restarting time afterwards.

"anywhere with- uh?"

* * *

><p>"Then nothingness was not, nor existence. There was no air then, nor heavens beyond it. Who covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping? Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?"<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 10**

_**Inurinens In Ignota**_

* * *

><p>By now, she was questioning how she had gotten to the train tracks, and most importantly, why wasn't she leaving. But those questions had no bearing for her, at that moment. The rain could get stronger, the world could end and she wouldn't care about it. All that mattered was…<p>

…_Sayaka-chan… where are you…_

The fact that Madoka was soaked to the bone, and completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, didn't helped matters. But she had to find her. And so she trekked on, ignoring the empty passenger carriages and freight trains that zoomed past her. Good thing they were empty: not many would approve of a middle schooler just casually walking in the middle of the train tracks.

Suddenly, her heart started pumping faster, as a set of figures emerged from the black mist that ensnared the surroundings. The first one she could identify was probably the last person in the world she expected to see there.

"Brito-san?…"

The group had seen Madoka by now, and slowed their pace. Kaz diverted his gaze and bit his lip: right now, staring at Madoka was too painful for him.

But her attention didn't rested on him for long, as Madoka's eyes focused on the deep blue that covered the head of the body Kyouko carried.

"Sa-Sayaka-chan!"

Madoka ran to the group, and almost threw herself on top of Sayaka. It took her a few moments to realize there was not a hint of life in that body.

"What's wrong? Sayaka-chan?" She answered, almost screaming, the pitch of her voice getting more acute as she spoke.

"Wh-What happened to Sayaka-chan?" She now addressed the rest of them, but no one in particular, tears and sweat running down her face as she screamed out the question.

Kyouko bit her lower lip and looked away. Kaz kept his stance and closed his fist, his arm shaking, none of them daring to tell Madoka the truth.

"Her Soul Gem turned into a Grief Seed, and gave birth to a witch. The Sayaka you knew is dead."

Homura, however, did not hesitate, and gave no quarter to the already devastated mind of the pink-haired girl, who fell to her knees. Kyouko was stunned, both as she had yet to fully comprehend the situation, and on how harshly Homura told her the truth. Kaz simply watched though the corner of his eye, lying against an electric post, not minding the high voltage warning stamped in bright colors.

Madoka's lost her balance, her legs shaking like gelatin. In complete denial, she asked, begged and prayed to the earth below and the heavens beyond it that it was all some sick, cruel joke. Homura was quick to shatter those last remnants of hope, and the crushed girl fell to her knees.

Slowly, Kyouko set down Sayaka's body at Madoka's feet, and she hugged it immediately with whatever little strength she had left. She couldn't hold it back anymore. Madoka started to cry helplessly on top of Sayaka, shedding tears so heavy that even the storm above couldn't match them. It was a truly horrendous sight, one that would chill anyone to the spine.

And Kyouko had had enough of it.

She closed her fist, and gave Homura a fast and devastating punch in the jaw, pouring out all her anger on it. Great was her surprise when Homura stood her ground even against the sheer force of the blow, and took just one step back, her neck twisted in an awkward angle. Even more awkward was the fact that she made no retaliation, but that was of no concern to Kyouko at the moment.

"How dare you… She's Sayaka's best friend! You fucking bitch, after what you did, you have the guts to even open your mouth?"

Homura again turned to her, grimacing, her cheek bright red.

"Yes, I know it all, Sayaka told me!" Kyouko continued, adding sarcasm to her rant. "She told me all about your sins, _you cunt._ It was you who killed-"

"I don't know what she told you about me." Homura spoke, loudly enough to cut the other girl off. "But whatever it was, she was wrong."

"_And if you say it next to Madoka, I. Will. Kill you."_ She added.

Even through telepathy, her tone was as threatening as a thousand demons, causing even Kyouko to back down. But not for long. She pulled out her Soul Gem, and within moments Homura had a spear at her throat.

"I only followed you because I had Sayaka with me. No more."

Homura could feel the light touch of the very tip of the spear in her neck. One false movement and everything would be over.

…_Damn you, Kyouko._

But Homura wouldn't do such a thing. With a quick time freeze, she placed herself behind Kyouko, fully transformed, her Desert Eagle touching Kyouko's skull. The fiery girl was stunned for a split second as their roles were switched, being caught by Homura's tricks again. Angered, she didn't even think the position she was in as she spun around and attempted to hit her with the blunt end of her spear.

Only for a body to place itself between the two girls before anything could happen.

"You…

_Kaz?_

Both girls were surprised as they saw the young man, a head taller than both, slid in between them, arms wide open, separating them.

"This isn't the place." He simply said, in a low voice.

But Kyouko wasn't pleased. "Get out of the-

"You two really want to do this here?" He said, his eyes fixed on Madoka, who kept on wailing helplessly on top of Sayaka's dead body. "Haven't we seen enough death already?"

It was Kazuhira's turn to have Kyouko's mighty spear at his throat, but not for long. In a mix of anger and shame, she dispelled her weapon and outfit, and turned her back to Homura. Relieved to avoid conflict, but slightly angered that it was through Kaz's intervention, Homura put her Desert Eagle away and returned to her school uniform as well.

"Do you see now, Madoka? This is what you aspired to-

"Homura, that's enough!"

But one thing was to deter conflicts she couldn't avoid without taking a step back and showing weakness. Telling her bluntly to shut up was something completely different. Kaz and Homura exchanged heated looks for a few moments, before Homura approached him.

"I need to talk to you." She whispered, low enough that Kyouko couldn't hear them.

"Yeah, me too." He answered, in a not too friendly tone.

Homura nodded, and turned to the sorrowful girl and the one that stood beside her one last time, telling her to be careful with the body, and started walking away, Kaz walking by her side.

"Hey." Kyouko called, as the pair left the scene. "You and me aren't done yet."

Homura ignored Kyouko's threat, not giving her the pleasure of turning around, and kept on walking steadily, leaving Kyouko to deal with the devastated Madoka and the dead body she held on to.

* * *

><p><em>And I'll stay with you through it all…<em>

* * *

><p>"What did you-<p>

"What were you-

They were back at the footbridge leading to the train station, which was again completely empty, the trains not even bothering to stop there at such a late hour. As they both tried to speak at the same time, Kazuhira picked up the Arctic Warfare that he had dropped and placed it on its bag.

"You first." He said, politely, but with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Have you told anything to Sayaka? About Mami?"

"I spoke to her like an hour before that happened… mostly about Mami, yes." He replied, reminiscing. "But nothing involving her death, just how worried she was about her "disappearance". She was pretty down, but I thought I had cheered her up… by the time she got home, she looked much happier. I don't know what happened after that to make her attack you."

Homura looked deep into his eyes, trying to find any hint of deception. But she saw none.

"Very well, I believe you. Your turn."

"What the hell were you thinking, Homura?" He immediately fired, in a much more aggressive tone. "You fucking tried to _kill her_! If I hadn't gotten there…"

"You saw what happened, she attacked me-

"_Bullshit._" Kaz was not kidding around. "She was down, and you could have easily neutralized her without harming her."

"That was not the only reason." Homura continued. "I know Sayaka Miki. Better than you might think. I knew this would end up happening, should I let her escape."

Homura immediately regretted her choice of words, as she touched a nerve she would have better left untouched.

"So you gave up on her that easily? _You're so full of crap._ You came to me asking to protect these Puella Magi, to "save them". And what do I see? A cold girl who felt nothing while burying one of them and tried to kill the other."

The only way Homura could answer was to reveal much more than she was willing to. Thus, she stayed silent.

"What are they to you?" Kazuhira asked, crossing his arms. And again, he received silent treatment.

"Are they tools to you?"

"No."

"Are they simple lives for you to mess with at will?

"No!"

"Then what the fuck are they to you?" He questioned, shouting, opening his arms wide, not caring the slightest bit about just how much he was swearing. "Because you couldn't give less of a shit if they live or die!"

"They're… potential allies." Homura finally answered, hesitant. "In order to better protect-

_Madoka…_

-this city, I need them to keep witches in check and to survive long enough to assist in the battle against Walpurgis Night. I am thankful to them for their help, and to you for assisting. But I simply cannot allow them to threaten either of them. If they are on the verge of being consumed by despair" Homura paused momentarily. "I have to stop them. _At any cost._"

Homura again looked deep into his hazel eyes, eagerly waiting for his answer. Unfortunately for her, it was the worse she could have heard.

"I'm done." He said after a while, in a very low voice.

"What?"

"I said I'm done with this shit!" Kazuhira shouted, letting the anger inside take over him.

"I've been siding with you because I believed you wanted to protect these girls! To save them! But you are a cold-hearted bitch with no pity, no mercy, and you're willing to kill them without even trying to save them, no matter how much they suffer!"

Kazuhira was furious, his face absolutely terrifying, his eyebrows nearly curved into a V, to the point where Homura, without noticing it, took a step back. A roaring thunder echoed in the background, following a large flash.

"You know what? Fuck you, Homura. _Fuck. You._"

He punched the railing in anger, the entire footbridge vibrating under such strength. He looked at Homura in disgust for a few seconds, before turning around and walking away at a fast pace.

"What are you going to do?" Homura called, as he walked down the stairs.

"I don't know!"

Kaz turned around, pausing for a second in the middle of the stairs. He looked at Homura's glittering black hair, glued to her clothes by the heavy rain above them.

"But I'm not going to fucking sit around and watch them die!"

Those were his last words, and he turned around, never to look back again.

And Homura was left with a decision in her hands. She was quick to make her mind about it.

_He's a threat._

Without hesitation, Homura donned her outfit and retrieved her Desert Eagle from her shield, aiming at the back of Kaz's head.

_I won't let you become like Oriko._

As a sign on respect, she took off her headset radio, and breathed in deep.

_For Madoka._

"I'm sorry, Kaz."

And she pulled the trigger, sending the large bullet flying down to the pavement where he walked and cowardly hitting him in the back of his head. Kazuhira's brain was nearly blown up by the massive stopping power of the bullet, most of its contents splattering on the soaked asphalt, and his body slowly fell to the ground, turning the torrents leading to the storm drains bright red.

Homura lowered her weapon slowly, and picked up the discarded shell from the ground. She was going to save that one.

"Rest in peace, Kazuhira Brito."

The second she uttered those words, a painful headache overcame her, and she clutched her head with her left hand, closing her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>-Uh?<em>

Homura opened her eyes again, and shook her head, as she watched Kazuhira reach the bottom of the stairs and walk away, leaving his bike behind, not looking back for one moment. She took a deep breath, wiped her forehead and rested her left hand on the footbridge's railing, still trying to discern what was real from the illusions her mind created.

_I'll deal with this tomorrow… Right now, we all need some sleep._

* * *

><p><em>Even though I'm just dead weight…<em>

* * *

><p>It had been the worst day of her life. Her whole world had been shaken without warning, as if a giant shadow had surrounded her and causde everything around her to crumble apart. Her best friend had suffered a fate far worse than death. Her own heart, mind and spirit had been crushed under the weight of a truth far too cruel for any sane human to accept. And worst of all, despite her will, despite her effort, she was unable to do anything about it, being harshly reminded of her helplessness and uselessness.<p>

But her mother had always told her that the sun rises every day, no matter what. Even when she couldn't see any openings in the cloudy sky. Even when it was still the darkest of nights, to her. Even if everything seemed lost.

So when the red-haired girl called out to her, and proposed to her the seemingly impossible, to defy everything and everyone to _save her,_ no matter the odds, no matter the danger, she didn't have the luxury of thinking twice.

"I don't care how dangerous it is. I'll do it. I want… I need to help her!"

Kyouko was rather impressed at her steadfast will. All she'd seen from the girl so far was endless crying and passiveness. And yet, there she stood, determined to save Sayaka no matter what. Madoka again impressed her by taking a step forward and taking the initiative of introducing herself properly, before Kyouko had the chance to. She quickly reciprocated.

"Listen…" Madoka asked. "you… I wasn't really listening… but I think you said something about Sayaka having you told something-

"Don't." Kyouko cut her off. "It's not my business to tell you."

Madoka exhibited a frown, but Kyouko quickly countered it.

"If you really want to know, ask Sayaka when we get her back." She said, with a smile, which Madoka responded with a smile of her own.

"Now, before we continue…

Before Madoka's curious eyes, Kyouko looked around suspiciously, checking if there was no passer-by in the vicinity, in the narrow streets of that historic neighborhood. There was none, and she quickly drew her Soul Gem and donned her outfit. In a flash, she threw her spear down a side alley, which flew in a perfectly straight trajectory and embedded itself on a brick wall at the end.

"You can come out now, you fuck."

Madoka was slightly frightened, but that quickly changed into surprise when she saw a shadow walk out from behind a building, centimeters away from where the spear had flown moments ago.

"Eavesdropping isn't my thing." The shadow said. "I apologize. I deserved that."

And for the second time in less than twelve hours, Madoka was stunned to see that person in such a place. Kyouko simply looked at him with disdain, as she returned her Soul Gem to a ring form.

"B-Brito-san?"

"You again… What are you doing here? Spying for that bitch Homura, or something? Because you two sure as hell looked like friends last night." Kyouko asked, maintaining her rude tone. "Or should I ask, who the hell are you?"

"I'm just a dead man" He promptly answered. "and I am here on my own."

With slow steps, he came out of the shadow and into the mild morning sun that now broke through the clouds, walking towards the pair, stepping on the shallow water puddles left over from last night's downpour.

"I want to help."

"What?"

"Sayaka was… she _is_ very important to me. If there's a chance… if there's just the slightest chance that we can get her back… I'll do anything it takes."

"Do you know what you're talking about? Do you even know what's happening here?" Kyouko questioned, aggressively. Who, other than Puella Magi, could understand them?

_Only one way to prove it, uh?_

"Yeah, I do. I know everything. Puella Magi, witches, innocent humans…

He put down the sports bag he carried, threw his leather jacket to the ground, and pulled back the sleeve on his long-sleeve t-shirt. Madoka covered her mouth, while Kyouko's eyebrows twitched.

"…innocent lives."

"What the-

"And if we make it… then maybe, just maybe… I can save my sister too."

A moment of silence followed. Surprisingly, those words eased Kyouko's tension. That… thing wasn't there by mistake. His sister…

_Holy shit… what has this fucker gone through?_

"…Can you fight?" Kyouko asked, in a softer tone.

Kaz unzipped his sports bag, and produced an MP5K. Madoka, despite her shock, noticed he wasn't wearing his typical long and thin backpack.

"Guns are cool." Kyouko said. "But they're not enough."

Within her pocket, Kyouko had again transformed her ring into her Soul Gem. In a fast motion, she drew it and shot a beam of red light from it, immediately assuming the shape of a bended spear, aimed at Kazuhira's neck. But by the time Kyouko looked, her target was already gone: lying down on the floor, with his weapon pointed right at her skull.

"Brito-san…" Madoka finally mustered.

"I've told you, Madoka-chan, just call me Kaz." He said, with a smile, as Kyouko gave him a helping hand, and he dusted off his t-shirt.

"I don't approve of taking a human to a battle, let alone two." Kyouko said, sighing afterwards. "But I can't deny you this. This is your battle too."

"Thank you." Kazuhira answered, with a slight bow.

"Okay, then. First, I have to track her down-

"Wait." Kaz interrupted. "Don't do it just yet."

"Why?"

"It's almost lunch time." He said, cheerful. "Before you do anything, let's get something to eat. I'm buying. No use fighting on an empty stomach."

Kyouko was surprised, but smiled back and nodded. She knew that all too well. To think that Sayaka would make her forget to eat… That girl really cramped her style.

* * *

><p><em>I won't forget that you were always there for me…<em>

* * *

><p>"She's right, Madoka-chan."<p>

The threesome walked, slowly but steadily, through the arched stone corridor, lit up by just a few torches. Every once in a while, they'd come upon a locked cage: there were a few humanoid figures inside each, who shifted around as they passed, but quickly lost their interest and returned to their activities. It was too dark to see what they were actually doing, or to make out any of their features.

"You shouldn't fight if you don't need to. That should be left to those that no longer have a choice."

"B-But Bri-

Kazuhira retuned her a frown.

"…Kaz, then what about you? Aren't you just-

"A regular person?" He looked up to the arches above them as he spoke. "Yes, I'm nothing more than an average human."

"Then why-

"It's a long story. I'll… tell you some other time."

"But you're not a Puella Magi!" Madoka was truly worried about Kaz. "You don't have any powers! It's too dangerous!"

"It's just as we said… I no longer had a choice. And Madoka-chan, power is nothing but resolve brought to fruition. What I do is no less dangerous than any of you girls" He looked to Kyouko, as he said this. "do every day."

"I disagree." Kyouko replied, to the surprise of both. "There's a big difference between having unlimited bandage works and actual healing magic. Super strength and speed also help. Fighting without all that is suicidal. I'd run the fuck away if I was in your position."

"I doubt that." He said, between her lines.

"But you have your reasons. And the way you carry yourself, the way you hold that gun: this isn't your first time around. You got some serious balls."

Kaz smirked, but didn't answer.

"Still-

Madoka quickly stopped. The sound of a roaring crowd rose in the distance, and kept getting stronger.

"It's her. Let's go!"

The group started running down the hallway, ignoring the cages they zoomed past them. They could clearly see a light at the end, and as they approached, they could hear the sound of an orchestra playing, although muffled by the crowd's roar. Suddenly, however, it stopped.

_Sayaka, we're coming for you!_

They ran through the final arch, and found themselves looking at two identical humanoids, the same that they'd seen in the cages: one held twin swords and stood tall, the other held nunchaku and laid flat on the ground, with a fatal strike on its chest oozing a black fluid. Both wore classic battle armor, and sported long, silky black hair.

And a distorted version of a very familiar face.

"Homura…chan?"

It took them a second to realize the magnitude of what was happening. The two figures stood in the middle of a large arena… no, an entire coliseum. A crowd of robed familiars, with the same face and hair filled the grandstands, with an orchestra occupying a sector of it.

And in the most majestic stand, right above the opposing gate, sat the master of their fates: a gigantic creature, the same from the barrier at the train station, sat in an equally large throne, its cloak now open and revealing a fully armor-clad chest. Its large, scaled tail exhibited every color imaginable. In its right hand, it held a large sword, held downwards, as if a thumbs down. Slowly, it moved the sword back to a correct position.

Madoka fell to her knees, frightened by the scale of the events of everything around her, but quickly stood up again.

"That's her!" Kyouko shouted. "Madoka, do as we planned!"

The pink-haired girl nodded. "Sayaka-chan, it's me. It's Madoka!"

Madoka a step forward, towards the witch.

"Can you hear me? Do you remember me?"

The witch remained serene, unmoving. But the victorious familiar, seeing its vanquished opponent disappear, turned its eyes to the group. The gladiator had found its next opponents. It raised its swords, and rushed towards the group.

Kyouko immediately pushed Madoka back, putting herself between the running familiar and the girl. Drawing her hands together, she raised a barrier around Madoka and Kazuhira, and summoned her spear.

"Don't stop. Keep talking to her!"

With the impulse from the run, the familiar took a high jump, and dived down swords-first, attempting to bury them into Kyouko's chest. She dodged it, and thrust her spear towards the familiar. It managed to evade the blow, showing athletic prowess.

"Oh yeah? Then take this!"

Kyouko attempted the same blow, again evaded by the familiar. However, Kyouko quickly turned her spear around, shooting the heavy ball in the blunt end at it, binding it with chains. Kyouko then reeled the chains back in, squeezing the familiar and eventually crushing it into pieces, gushing out copious amounts of black fluid.

_Damn… this won't be easy._

"Please, Sayaka, come back to us!" Madoka kept on shouting, emotionally.

The crowd of familiars cheered on, and another gladiator entered the arena, this time wielding a large battle axe. Two more followed it, holding a crossbow and a katana, respectively.

_Bring it on!_

After pausing for a second, two of the familiars shot forward, the crossbow-wielding one running sideways instead. It fired a couple of bolts at Kyouko, which she blocked with her spear: however, the distraction meant she nearly got caught by the two others. She somersaulted back, avoiding a katana slash, and rolled sideways to dodge the large axe which the other one slammed into the ground.

"Kyouko is here. Kazuhira is here too. We're all here for you!"

_Crafty bastards, uh?_

Kyouko shot the chains in her spear at the feet of the axe-wielding familiar, and slammed it against the one that held a katana, knocking it down. Using the momentum, she sent the tied down familiar flying away at high speed towards the crossbowman, sending both crashing them against the wall. She quickly summoned a spear and fired it at them, impaling them both. And before the last remaining gladiator could stand up, she reeled the chains back, spun her spear around, and slammed it right on the warrior's chest, terminating it.

"We all love you, we all want you back!"

The witch stood up from the throne: how dare the intruders kill its gladiators without consent. It raised the sword, and again turned it downwards, condemning the invaders to death.

And following the holy command from the empress, more gladiators ran out into the arena. Kyouko barely had time to wipe her forehead.

"I could use some help here!"

"I'm on it!"

While Kyouko fended off the first opponents, Kazuhira had been readying the weapon he had brought along specifically for this battle: an M249 light machine gun. It was heavy and exceedingly unwieldy, but given that he'd be firing from a covered position, the sheer firepower it provided was the best option. He retrieved the hefty weapon from his sports bag, which it occupied almost entirely, mounted the bipod on the protective barrier's chains, and loaded a large ammunition belt.

"I'm ready, just say the word!"

"Cover the flanks!" Kyouko ordered. "I'll take care of the center. And don't blow me full of holes!"

"Who do you take me for?" Kaz retorted, hopeful. "Let's do this!"

More familiars kept on rushing in through the gates like berserkers, brandishing their weapons high, the crowd going wild with the unexpected showdown. The orchestra stopped their regular performance, and instead switched an intense, higher rhythm rearrange of Mozart's _Agnus Dei_.

"So please, I beg you, wake up!"

Kyouko evaded a few arrows that rained on her, as the first of the waves of Homura-shaped familiars reached her. Taking the initiative, she vaulted over the first, shattering its head against the ground with the blunt end of her spear. Landing ahead of it, surrounded by four familiars, she slashed the air around her with her spear, as if it was a sword, beheading them. An opportunistic gladiator jumped over the melee, and using its comrades' death as a distraction, dived towards the Puella Magi, attempting to squash her with a morning star. Kyouko didn't even move: she simply pointed her spear towards it, allowing the unfortunate warrior to impale itself. She quickly kicked the limp body off her weapon and resumed her guard. Her fast movements has left a trail of dust over the area, as if enveloping her in a holy mist.

Several gladiators attempted to flank around, but they didn't stood a chance against the storm of lead Kazuhira was putting down range. However, as he tried to pick off some of the archers attacking Kyouko from a distance, he allowed one to slip by: he barely managed to destroy it before it could bury its claymore in Kyouko's exposed back.

"Please, remember me! Remember us! Remember who you are!" Madoka kept on crying, increasingly emotional, making herself be heard even above the orchestra, the cheering attendance, and the deafening roar of Kaz's machine gun.

Funneled into the center by the metal storm, the familiars no option but to charge straight forward, into the red warrior that stood tall among her vanquished enemies. Seeing the opportunity, Kyouko summoned four spears, and sent them flying against her opponents. Lined up as they were, each spear picked off a large number of warriors, impaling them against the wall.

Kyouko exhibited a mischievous smile. But her arrogance proved costly. From afar, a gladiator threw a meteor hammer, which wrapped around her feet, immobilizing her momentarily. However, strangely, there were no gladiators near her, so she thought she had enough time to cut it.

She was wrong. A large carriage wheel, equal to the ones she'd faced in the embryonic barrier, collided with her at high speed. The girl was sent flying away helplessly, crashing against her own barrier.

"Kyouko!"

"Kyouko-chan!"

"I'm fine!" She immediately responded, slashing the rope that bound her, standing up, and raising the protective barrier around the pair. "Keep trying!"

The empress was not pleased, perhaps even angered. The insolent invaders insisted on not obeying the death sentence. Standing in front of the throne, too proud to descend to the arena, it raised its sword, and summoned a large number of wooden carriage wheels. With a whip-like motion, it sent the wheels blazing down towards Kyouko, ignoring even its own familiars, running over a number of them.

"Sayaka-chan, this isn't what you wanted to fight for! You wanted to fight for justice! To protect everyone!"

Kazuhira tried to destroy the wheels, but he could only stop a few, as their speed made them much more difficult targets than the familiars. He could only pray that Kyouko would be able to weave through them. And she did so, but with difficulty. Fortunately, the gladiators had stopped spawning, allowing her to focus on the wheels. A jump here, a strike on one of the few remaining warriors there, a dive to prove in a tight spot, and there were only a few left.

_That's it, Sayaka. Let all your rage out, let all your grief out on us…_, Kazuhira thought. _We'll take it all for you._

But Kyouko was completely exhausted. She vaulted over one with her spear, but another knocked the spear down, leaving her without support. She could do nothing as she saw another wheel closing in, hitting her right in the forehead.

But, tenacious as ever, Kyouko managed to land on her feet, and skidded back on one knee, stopping with her back against the barrier encasing Madoka and Kaz.

"COME ON, SAYAKA!" She shouted as loud as she could. "Hear Madoka! Feel our effort! COME BACK TO US!"

The wheels had ceased. No more gladiators ran out into the arena. The orchestra cut their performance short. Even the stands had fallen silent. Everything went calm for a moment. An almost divine quietude.

Kyouko's eyes opened wide. Kaz gazed in amazement. Madoka, who'd fallen to her knees, looked up, her eyes tearful.

"…Did she… did she really…"

As they watched, one of the familiars on the front row stood up from its seat, its empty eyes gazing at the group. It jumped over the low wall that separated it from the arena, and slowly walked towards them, unarmed, its pure-white robe waving slightly as it walked. It stopped in front of Kyouko, a meter away, and exchanged looks with her.

"Saya…ka…" Kyouko babbled. The familiar had Homura's face, but she was looking much, much deeper than the surface. The face she saw was a much different one.

They stood still for around half a minute, feelings of hope, anxiety and uncertainty flowing through Kyouko's, Kaz's and Madoka's minds unchecked. The familiar seemed to be analyzing them, maybe even trying to feel them. Could it be…

"Sayaka… can you hear me?"

The familiar kept on watching them, not making a single movement. However, suddenly, the front row of the stands stood up. Then the second row. In a matter of seconds, all of them had risen from their seats.

"Kyouko…"

"Wait."

Silently, in an orderly fashion, the robed familiars walked down the stone stairs into the bottom row, and jumped over the wall into the arena.

"Kyo-

"I said wait!" She shouted to Kazuhira, before turning back to the single familiar that stood in front of her. Madoka had done her job, but right now she was overwhelmed by the events. It was up to Kyouko to call her out now.

"Sayaka, we're here for you."

Soon, every member of the attendance, save for the orchestra, was on the arena, standing at the outer edges, surrounding the threesome and the solo familiar completely.

Kyouko extended her hand to it.

"Please… Sayaka… come with us!"

The familiar immediately retreated, in what appeared to be frightfulness.

"Saya-

Backtracking to some three meters away, the familiar reached with its right hand into its clothing… and produced a trident from it.

"Sayaka… don't do it…

The familiar look down to the sand below for an instant, as its companions, lined up against the edge of the arena, took up arms as well.

"We don't want to fight you anymore…

It raised its head again, and gave Kyouko another deep gaze.

And it lifted the trident high in the air.

"DAMN IT!"

The signal had been given. The next instant, the mob outside rushed in, their weapons held high.

Enraged, Kyouko surged forward and slew the trident-bearer, slashing it in half. She stood there for a moment, looking at its dead, empty face.

"Why? Why did you do that?", in a mix of sadness and range.

"Kyouko!" Kazuhira called, picking up his machine gun from the chain barrier. "There's too many of them!"

An onslaught of familiars approached them from all directions. They possessed no armor, ran at different speeds and brandished their weapons in the air as they ran: they were not trained warriors. However, their numbers were ridiculously high, and would decimate them.

Unexpectedly, the chain barrier disappeared, leaving the two humans exposed. Madoka, who had yet to see the wave of death that approached them, crossed her arms and screamed in fear. Kazuhira simply looked to the Puella Magi, surprised.

"Kyouko, what are you-

"I'll handle it." She said, coldly.

Kyouko jumped high, and landed between the determined gunslinger and the crying maiden, dead in the center of the arena. There, she stood immobile, as the assailants drew nearer.

Kaz couldn't wait any longer. He aimed at the leading familiars, but Kyouko raised her hand in front of him.

"Don't. I said I'll handle it."

"What are you going to do? They're too close!"

_Wait for it._

The witch, who'd been quiet since the last of its warriors had been vanquished, again raised its sword.

"More wheels! Kyouko!"

_Wait for it._

The wheel materialized as expected, and hovered high the air, awaiting a command to rain death on the witch's opponents. But the rushing crowd would get to them first: they were mere meters away. Kyouko could smell her prey.

And that's the signal she needed.

_NOW!_

She stomped the blunt end of her spear on the ground, and raised it high afterwards, spinning it around at high speed. The spear broke apart in multiple sections, linked by the steel chain that ran along the spear. Kyouko imbued her magic on it, and the sections started to glow a bright red, and increased in size. As the first familiars came into range, the outer sections fell, smiting them away.

Kazuhira aimed at the incoming foes, but they were perishing before he could even shoot. He was simply content in watching the magnificent show Kyouko was putting up, gracefully spinning the weapon above and around them, glowing as a thousand red stars.

The wooden wheels finally came down, but they were no match for what they faced, and were instantly shattered. The familiars kept on running mindlessly in their direction, only to suffer the same fate, and their numbers dwindled at an alarming rate.

Eventually, however, Kyouko faltered, and fell on one knee, while still spinning her weapon above her head.

"Kyouko!" Kazuhira shouted. "You can't give up now! Just a little more!"

Kyouko's answer came in the form of a deafening roar, more apt to a wild animal than a teenage girl. With difficulty, she raised herself, and spun her weapon even faster in a last-ditch effort, as it smashed the last of the wheels and knocked apart the remainder of the familiars.

The witch, however, could not stand to even look at it. Such defiance would be punished. It again raised the massive sword, but did not summon additional wheels. Instead, it pulled its arm back, and threw the sword down onto the arena, diving down on the threesome like a meteor.

"LOOK OUT!"

Kyouko only had a split second to look up. With what little she had left, she focused her magic on the spear to strengthen the defense.

But it was to no avail. The sword penetrated Kyouko's aegis, breaking the chains apart, and fell on the group. It buried itself on the sand, shaking the entire coliseum.

"Damn… it…"

The next instant, Kazuhira found himself flying away, thrown by the massive impact, unarmed but in collision course with the stone wall. By his side, Madoka was in the same position, but she was unconscious. He looked back, watching as the wall grew bigger and bigger.

_Ah, fuck._

Unexpectedly, he felt something wrap around his back, and he came to a halt mere centimeters from the cold stone. To his side, he saw Madoka had stopped her deadly flight as well.

"You sure took your time."

Homura stood between them, holding them both in each of her arms. She had caught them both mid-flight, and skidded back, acting as a brake.

Kazuhira looked at Homura's stern eyes and Madoka's peaceful, sleeping face for a moment, before something clicked in his mind.

_Kyouko!_

He sparked up, and ran back to the center of the arena as fast as he could, to the large dust cloud that had risen from where the sword had embedded itself. All the familiars were dead, all the wheels were destroyed: yet Kyouko was nowhere to be seen.

_No…_

As the sand settled, he saw a body slowly rolling away from the crash site. And leaving a large trail of blood on the sand behind.

"Kyouko!"

Kyouko stopped rolling at Kaz's feet, laid on her back. She had a deep slash in her abdomen, almost mid-way through her belly, and it was gushing out copious amounts of blood. Before he could say anything, however, she forced herself up, covered in sand, with blood, sweat and tears running down her face, her knees shaking badly.

"You bi-bitch, you only show up now, uh?"

Kyouko coughed blood, before she let out a sarcastic laugh, never turning her head to the one she addressed. In a slow pace, she walked several paces forward.

"You killed Mami, and you doomed Sayaka. I don't know why the hell you're protecting those two… but you must have your reasons."

Her legs faltered, and she fell down, sitting awkwardly on the floor.

"But I don't care anymore."

She took a deep, painful breath, shifted to proper kneeling stance, and undid her ponytail, retrieving a small talisman from the handkerchief that held it in place. She clamped her hands together, and instantly started to glow.

"Go, take them out of here. I'll handle this."

Hallowed flames erupted around Kyouko, giving her an angelic aura. Homura looked down, but Kazuhira simply gazed at her. Not just at the holy fire, but her serene, peaceful face as well.

_Those eyes…_

* * *

><p><em>And so, if you feel like everything is lost…<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Tel Aviv, Israel, 2007<strong>

"Brother, you're mean!" Rika ranted, while walking alongside him. "That was the last chocolate ice cream! You're ruining this vacation…

"Are you even listening to me?"

He wasn't. He had spaced out, focused on someone who walked down the street, on the other side of the road, wearing a white robe and a large turban. But he wasn't looking at his clothing.

"Hey dad…

"Huh?"

"That man over there" The young Kaz said, pointing at the man. "His eyes… he's got an awkward look on his face…"

His father glanced at the man, and his face quickly turned serious, as he saw the man cross the road to their side.

"Everyone, without panic, start walking faster."

"Why?" His wife asked.

"Just do it. Quickly!"

But by then, the man was already on their sidewalk, frozen at a crossroads there were walking away from. Slowly, he raised his right hand in the air, holding a small object.

There wasn't enough time.

"GET DOWN!"

"**ALLAHU AKBAR!"**

**-BOOOOM-**

A large explosion shook the street behind them. Shrapnel flew in all directions, and the corner building behind where the man stood had a large portion of the wall blown up. Disfigured dead bodies were scattered across the street, while some dismembered victims screamed in a horrific fashion.

"Is everyone okay?"

Slowly, each family member said they were. In the distance, ambulances could be heard, blasting their loud sirens.

"Okay… then let's just get to the hotel. And… don't look back."

* * *

><p><em>Don't ever forget…<em>

* * *

><p><em>She's gonna…<em>

"KYOUKO, NO!"

Kazuhira sprang off his feet, and ran towards the praying Kyouko, ignoring Homura's warnings to head back to her. Kazuhira dived on top of the girl, knocking her down. The second he touched her, the flames vanished. He now stood on top of her, gazing at her uniform, even more red than it usually was, at her glinting eyes, at the deeply clouded Soul Gem in her chest...

"I've already lost Mami, and Sayaka…" His voice dwindled after mentioning her name.

"I'm not losing you too! I can't!"

Between her mental and physical pain, the confusion of the moment, and the words of the young man on top of her, the girl was left immobile and speechless.

Slowly, he stood up, and looked around. The familiars were all dead, their bodies and weapons dispersed across the battlefield, and the gates to the arena had long seen no activity. The witch's wheels of fate had all been blown to smithereens, and their wooden remains buried on the sand. The gigantic sword had fallen, and was nothing more than a memento of a past battle.

And the witch… despite being unscathed, it raised and lowered its chest, as if it was panting. It had sat down on the throne, but the movement continued. It had summoned large amounts of wheels, and the gladiators fed off her energy. And it hadn't done anything since it threw the sword. So maybe…

_Maybe… Just maybe…_

Kazuhira took a few step forward, and walked over the M249 that had flown away from his hands earlier. He took off his jacket and threw to side, revealing two bandoliers, slung over his chest.

"Homura… give me covering fire." He said, loud enough that it could be heard on the other side of the arena.

Her eyes widened, and her lips flexed.

"What are you going do to?"

"Just do it." He answered, determined.

_Time to go all in._

He drew a pair of Glock 18 machine pistols holstered in the back of his belt, and took the safety off both, one at each time. He knew how to handle his weapons: he never entered battle with the safety on. It was clear he never intended on using them.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. And he knew it all too well.

_Right?_

He took a deep breath, and started a mad dash towards the witch, jumping above dead gladiators, ignoring anything but his target. The witch wasn't going to go down so easily: it stood up again, raised its right hand, and again summoned carriage wheels, but in a much lesser number.

Homura didn't move an inch, nor did she let go of Madoka. But with her free hand, she retrieved an assault rifle from her shield, and fired on the wheels, picking off two of them, but allowing more to slip by: she was too far away, and they were moving too fast.

_Godspeed, Kaz._

But she wouldn't put her money on him. Kazuhira saw three wheels diving towards him, but he could do little to dodge them: thus, he just kept on running as fast as he could. But at his lowly speed, they were able to track him.

_Shit!_

As the first threatened to crush him, he dived forward. The wheel crashed right behind him, to the point where the hair on the back of his neck rose. He skidded along the sand, with the two remaining wheels following him. He quickly turned belly up, and as they got close enough, he fired his Glocks at them, emptying both cartridges. Wood splinters flew everywhere, some falling dangerously close to his eyes. But he was safe.

The young man quickly stood up, tossed aside both magazines and reloaded by sticking the machine pistols against his bandolier, which held a magazine on each side. Soon after, he jumped over the wall that separated the arena from the stands, his feet much appreciating the transition from sand to solid ground. He instantly ran to the steep stairs, climbing them as fast as he could, ascending towards the royal balcony. The witch attempted to stop him by punching him, but missed, causing nothing but stone debris: its body was too large to maneuver well at close range.

Eventually, he reached the balcony, but the witch still stood several meters above him. Fearlessly, Kazuhira, tossing his weapons aside, jumped and grabbed the witch's rainbow-colored tail. Alarmed, it shook the tail around, as a fish out of water, trying to shake the intruder off. He held on for dear life, at times with just one hand, and pulled out his combat knife, using it to assist his climb. And so he clawed his way up, scale by scale, and then through the wedges on its armor, aiming for the witch's head. The witch against tried to swat him against its own body, but failed just as it did before, barely able to move its arms in such close range due to the hefty armor.

_Almost there… almost there…_

Eventually, he climbed past the large pink ribbon the witch wore, and stood up besides its head, and the helm that covered it. Absolutely exhausted, he leaned against it for a moment, noticing by chance a hinge on the helm, where one's mouth would usually sit. With difficulty, he pulled it up. Inside, there nothing but pure darkness.

"Sayaka" He said, in a low voice. He knew he was being heard, from there. "Madoka called out to you. Kyouko too. Now it's my turn. But… they've already said everything. So all I can say is, please… please come back with us. I beg you…"

The witch responded soon after, screeching and twitching its body around wildly, forcing Kazuhira to hold on for dear life to the rim of the helm's mouth.

"Please… we risked everything, our bodies, our lives, our very souls to rescue you. I know you feel unloved, but that's just how much we're willing to risk to have you back. You're a beacon in all of our lives… So please, hear our call!"

He obtained the same response again, dazzling him. What more could he do, what more could he say?

_You… you don't want to go back, do you? _

Kazuhira closed his eyes, and hugged the cold, steel helm. No movement, this time.

_The world was too cruel to you… You don't want to stay like this, but you don't want to live it all again…_

He let go of it, pulled a couple of grenades from his bandolier, and pulled them pin on both.

_Then…_

He kissed one of the grenades, and threw them down the witch's "mouth", sliding down the witch's long cloak afterwards, and landing safely at the base of the throne.

_Good night, sweet princess._

The hinges of the witch's armor glowed yellow for a moment, before large explosions rocked its insides, blowing the armor up in pieces and sending them flying away in all directions. What remained of the witch collapsed forward, falling softly on the arena, barely lifting any sand up.

Soon after, the coliseum started to disappear into naught, and as the dusk again lighted their world, a dark object adorned with a note-shaped symbol slowly descended from the heavens, and landed at Kaz's feet. Gently, he picked it up, and embraced it for just a second.

A sense of urgency immediately took over Kazuhira, and using the last of his strength, he ran back to Kyouko, who was miraculously still alive, but it's Soul gem nearly pitch black. Without hesitation, he stuck the Greif Seed against her chest, and saw how her Soul Gem again glowed in a bright, vivid red, and the large wound on her abdomen started to heal up immediately.

On the other hand, Sayaka's Grief Seed was now seeping with dark energy. No amount of Homura's rhetoric would stop him now. He picked up his jacket, to which Kyouko had grabbed on to, in her pain, and retrieved his Beretta 92 from the inner pocket. He walked a few steps away from Kyouko, and, with his arm shaking from exhaustion, pushed the Grief Seed against the muzzle of the pistol.

A single bullet did it. This time, there was no demoniacal scream, nor ungodly shockwave. Perhaps Sayaka decided to pass away in peace…

Homura gazed at him in astonishment, perhaps even awe. She quickly shook those feelings off her face, but that didn't eliminate her surprise.

_Di-did he just fucking do that?_

Usually, Kyouko would be the one vocalizing such a thought… but she was speechless as well. Now healed, but still in pain and with her movements groggy, she stood up. She was even more shocked than Homura, but it was not just that. What stunned, and pained her more was realizing the consequence of what had just happened.

"You… you killed her…

Kyouko glanced at Kazuhira with a frightening look, filled with fear, rage and… murder.

"You fucking killed her!…

"I-I didn't-

"YOU KILLED SAYAKA! YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

With difficulty, Kyouko summoned a spear, which ended up smaller than the one she usually held, and charged towards Kazuhira at full speed, roaring in pain and anger as she closed the distance.

However, Homura intervened, and restrained Kyouko before she could reach him. The red-haired girl struggled to break free of Homura's arms, but she had barely any strength left.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!"

"Get out of here! Now!"

It took him a moment, but Kazuhira obeyed Homura's order and limped away from the scene, completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, still hearing Kyouko's cries for freedom for a good while, even after he walked out of the building.

* * *

><p><em>I'm here for you.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: From now on, I'll credit the quote next to the title (and edit it in the previous chapters) in the following form:**

**Intro quote from: the Rid Veda. It is one of the four and the most ancient (its origins dating from the 10****th**** century BC) sacred text of Hinduism. That quote refers to the Hindu myth of creation (if I'm not mistaken), and I find it to be absolutely beautiful.**

**11K, I broke the game. I tell you, some parts were a royal pain to write. This story's been almost entirely original, but I had to follow some of the anime's events at the start due to the plot, and that really cramps my style. That said, I think this was far from a carbon copy. I'd never allow myself that. I am really happy with the result. And god, that discussion in particular was something I've been eager to write.**

**Oh, and see that change of tunes from the orchestra? That went everywhere from Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries, to Fortunate Son, to Sympathy For The Devil. Damn you, classical music, why do you torture me so. For the record, the Agnus Dei arrange I talk about is Ace Combat 04's. Of course I wouldn't mention that, but check it out.**

* * *

><p><strong>A quick explanation on some of the least known ancient weapons:<strong>

**- The morning star is the general name of club-like weapons with spikes, typically seen in movies.**

**- The claymore is a very large two handed sword, used in medieval Scotland. **

**- The meteor hammer is a Chinese weapon, basically consisting of two weights linked by a flexible rope. It is capable of extremely fast strikes (hence its name), and can also be used to restrain foes.**

**The M249 light machine gun is the American standard issue version of the Belgian FN Minimi. In use for more than twenty years, It provides infantry squads with the heavy volume of fire of a machine gun combined with accuracy and portability approaching that of a rifle, while also useful as a mounted weapon both in structures and in vehicles. Homura also has one: she uses it in the anime to attack Roberta. However, it's not known if that one is an M249 or a Minimi.**

**The Glock 18 is an automatic version of the famous Glock 17 pistol. Used by special forces around the globe, it fires at an astonishing 1,100 rounds per minute, giving the shooter a massive advantage in close-quarters combat. However, as with almost all machine pistols, it's wildly inaccurate beyond close range.**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, since Oktavia got a different description for the third timeline, I'll give her a new description too.<strong>

**Oktavia von Seckendorff: The mermaid witch. Her nature is to fall in love. Having lost her love in the battlefield long ago, she recreated it within her realm, trying to capture that feeling again. She can only pray that she will one day succeed.**

**Diana: The mermaid witch's minion, her duty is to duel. Born and bred for battle, she will never surrender, and will fight to her death, for duty, glory and honor.**

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks again to Jodan no Ken for the title translation!<strong>

**And, as always, hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Angelus Lapsus

_Pre A/N: The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated._

* * *

><p>A desperate, but righteous attempt.<p>

An excruciating battle for their goal, believing with all their hearts until the very last second.

A girl saved from death, and another from doom.

A witch vanquished. And a haunted soul put to peace.

Everything had been done the best possible way. And given the circumstances, the end result could hardly be called bad: it could have ended much worse, yet their course of action avoided it.

There had been no flaws, no mistakes on their part. There was no reason for guilt, nor anyone to attribute it to.

But then, why?

Why?

Why did hurt so fucking much?

Did _any_ of that really matter, in the end? Honor? Righteousness? Unwavering faith?

Ideals are important, sure. Some people even stubbornly live by them, no matter what. But at the end of the day, no matter how much reassurance these arguments provided, the fact remained.

They had failed.

Sayaka was _dead_.

"I want that." His finger pointed a flask filled with a clear liquid, on the middle shelf in the wall in front of him.

Those thoughts… they were too painful for anyone to cope with. They needed to be silenced, even if just briefly. For his sanity's sake.

"Sod off, kid." The bartender snorted, after swiftly examining his costumer. His rough beard and stern eyes denoted years of experience in the trade. "You may look older, but you don't fool me."

"I said-

"And I said I can't sell it to you! You want me to get a criminal record?"

"Record?"

Before the bartender could even lower his eyebrows, he was looking down the barrel of a Beretta 92, cold, dead eyes looking at him through the pistol's sights.

"How about I set _the record_ for shooting a fucker in the face the most times in a row?"

* * *

><p>"True strength is not found in those who stand tall over all, but in those who fall and find the courage to rise up again."<p>

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 11**

_**Angelus Lapsus**_

* * *

><p>A strange sight welcomed any passer-by that happened to stumble into that decaying alley so deep into the night: a blue streetlamp.<p>

_No, wait, that can't be right._

And it wasn't. A blink later, it was back to its regular, pale yellow.

Shrugging it off as fatigue, Kazuhira took another large sip of the cheap vodka he's "requisitioned" from the izakaya he'd stumbled into, and carried on.

He'd never been much of a drinker, apart from the occasional beer with his companions on the weekends off the military academy. But at the moment, it was better than sobriety. And it was working, to an extent. He wasn't overwhelmed with sorrow anymore; in fact, there was barely anything on his mind right now, being limited to guide him as he groggily walked through the rundown streets of the vice district. The few bystanders he crossed paths with did not even raise an eyebrow: of all that happened in that forsaken neighborhood, public drunkenness was at the bottom of their concerns.

It might have been the vodka. Or maybe it was simply because his body and soul were broken to the point where his mind simply started slipping away.

But no matter. The pain was gone.

For a moment, at least.

"Why did you kill me?"

It was as if someone had reached into his soul and dipped it in the icy depths of hell. Horrified, he looked back immediately, but saw nothing but the shadows cast by the derelict buildings.

Not that the owner of that voice could have ever been there.

He was about to shrug it off again as he turned around, but what he saw in front of him was impossible to ignore.

_She_ was there.

"Sa-sa-sa-"

Sayaka Miki, the girl who lost the battle against her own despair, miraculously appeared in front of him. Even though his vision was blurred, she was somehow crystal clear to his eyes. The young girl was as beautiful as ever, her blue hair flickering with the dim light of the streetlamps, her school uniform pristine, her smile…

…no, her smile… her magnificent, heart-warming smile was gone. No, that couldn't be Sayaka, there was no expression, no emotion in her face… and her eyes, her eyes of such a deep blue that one could feel oneself almost drowning from looking into them… they were black as night. Kazuhira instantly backtracked. The healthy human mind would have quickly dismissed it as a delusion caused by fatigue, drunkenness and emotional frailty. But perhaps exactly because of that, his didn't; that Sayaka looked as real to him as the heavy clouds in the night sky.

Still baffled, he attempted to reply to the girl that stood in front of him.

"I-I didn't-

"You _killed me_." The black-eyed Sayaka immediately said. "For all your good intentions, for all your empty words, you were unable to do anything to stop my demise. And in the end, you were the one who put an end to my life."

Even if shocked, even if still not believing his eyes, Kazuhira couldn't help but to feel slightly insulted.

"But we tried to save you! We risked our lives to bring you back!"

"Indeed, you tried."

The girl fell quiet for a moment, slowly circling around him.

"And you _failed._"

"You're not Sayaka." Kazuhira replied, trying to get his mind back together. "She'd… she'd understand, she _understood._ She'd never say such a thing."

"You are correct." The figure conceded. "I am not Sayaka. I am merely a product of your mind, a representation of your regret and grief. And yet, that does not make my words any less true."

As the black-eyed mirage spoke, the streetlamps again turned blue, and the walls around them lost their natural color, giving way to a hazy, but bright deep blue glow.

"In the end, all your will amounts to naught."

The hazy lights shifted and twirled in the walls, gradually forming various figures and shapes, eventually creating clear pictures: a walk though Mitakihara with a magnificent sunset as backdrop; a classroom full of bored, but happy middle-schoolers; a lively lunch at the mall with a jolly pink-haired girl; and a witch defeated by a magnificent display of swordsmanship. And in the center of all these images laid a cheerful, headstrong bluenette, Sayaka Miki.

Those were Kazuhira's memories of her.

"You are nothing but a powerless dog, eternally holding on to futile and impossible dreams." The black-eyed Sayaka continued, with a voice so chilling it would make the devil himself cry in shame. "Cowardly running away from destiny, all you do is of no consequence, other than to make the unavoidable fate even more painful. And thus, you are to blame for my death."

Kazuhira had fallen to his knees by now. He told himself none of that was real, but his mind begged to differ. He told himself the girl's accusations were false, yet he could not open his mouth to deny her.

"And mine as well."

His spine froze again, as he turned around to witness another familiar face, that of blond girl with twin drill-bit-shaped tails, standing in front of a wall opposite to Sayaka. The images behind her had changed, and now had a yellow tint, instead of blue.

"…Mami?"

"Had it not been for your malignant presence, I would have protected this city for years to come." The newly appeared girl said. She sported the same thick, soulless black eyes of her blue-haired counterpart. "Is that what you call standing up for mankind? Is that what you call saving us from despair?"

"Pathetic." Sayaka answered for him.

By then, the images projected on the walls had lost their color, and displayed a variety of pictures, mostly those of witches being destroyed by him. All those innocent girls… the girls Kazuhira had put to rest…

"There is nothing you can do. There is nothing you could have ever done. Anything you attempt will have no result but to further our suffering in this wretched world."

The young man faced the black-eyed Sayaka, disheartened. Deep down, he knew she was wrong. No amount of denial, drunkenness and trauma would ever make him doubt his beliefs… he would have been dead long ago, had it not been like that. Yet, he simply couldn't denounce her words… just like the other Puellae Magi, she had suffered beyond comprehension and in the end, he was indeed unable to protect her.

"I-I'm sorry…" He simply said, in such a low voice that few would have heard it. But it was enough. Hearing those words escape his mouth, and looking back up to see the two figures standing immobile, emotionless, Kazuhira broke. He screamed his lungs out in apology, not only to the fallen girls, but to the earth and the heavens, and anyone that could hear his nearly savage roar.

When his voice finally subsided and he opened his eyes, everything was gone. The ethereal panels, the blue lights, the eerily beautiful girls were gone, and his surroundings returned to normality, like a passing shower. Kazuhira blinked rapidly, trying to understand what had just happened, if it had been nothing but a drunken illusion, or his sanity finally giving in. The answer came in the form of a large, irrational sip, which emptied the vodka bottle he still carried. He grabbed his neck immediately, the alcohol nearly burning his throat, but it quickly faded, leaving nothing but a sense of relief.

He placed one hand on the ground, trying to stand up: it immediately faltered. It took both his hands and a handy downspout to get him back on his feet. He then took a step forwards, restarting his trek on the way to nowhere.

He should have known better than to think it was over.

A sudden, staggering pain in his right arm drove him back to the ground. Kazuhira clutched the arm with his left hand, but it was in vain. The young man howled in agony, as he left his arm being eaten away from the inside, the pain spreading through his body unchecked, as if his veins were ablaze.

This time, he knew what was happening. He'd experienced that horror once before, and it had nearly taken his life and soul. His darkest nightmare was about to come to pass.

The loose cobblestones at his feet melted into grey, dead soil, and the building next to him became nothing but a ruin, as if a tank shell had blown the façade off. Soon, the street had been completely engulfed, with the Grief Seed in his arm as the focal point. The buildings crumbled away, barbed wire raised from the ground, the air became nearly unbreathable with the scent of dust, gunpowder and death.

He'd seen that nightmarish, war-torn world before, and he swore he'd never see it again. But he failed. And now, Balalaika once again threatened to spread misery on the world.

The stage was set… but there was no witch. Not yet. Instead, another figure appeared before Kazuhira. It was another girl, taller than the previous, but thin, a wore a glittering, semi-transparent long-tailed black ballroom dress: a true portrayal of elegance. Loose, bright orange hair extended down to her waist, fiery as the flame of Olympus. But unlike the previous, she didn't question him, nor did she stared at him with those pitch-black eyes that shattered one's soul. No, she simply looked away, back turned to Kazuhira. And perhaps that was for the best. Her gaze would have probably been fatal.

Clinging to his right arm, which, though less, still throbbed in pain, Kazuhira forced himself up. That girl… he could feel it. For who she was, for her aura… she was far more than a mere apparition. But the moment he got up, she started to walk away. Her pace was steady, unflinching, not looking back to Kazuhira for one second.

"No… don't… don't go away!" He pleaded, his voice weak and dragged. But there was no reaction, she carried onward without regard for his words. And, to his terror, a few paces ahead, her black dress started to vaporize into large plumes of thick, black smoke. The smoke rose in the air, forming irregular clouds that hovered above them, which twitched about in an awkward fashion, as if incubating a great evil.

He had to do something. Right now. Or else, it would have been the end of this world. His legs finally obeyed him, and he charged towards the girl, tacking her to the ground. The smoke stopped pouring from her clothes immediately, leaving behind nothing but rags that barely covered her skin. She didn't fought back, and simply stood there, motionless, facing the ground.

"I've… I've already lost everything… You're the only thing I have left…" He whispered, smoothly, softly hugging the girl. "I'm not losing you too!"

"_Rika…_"

For a second, it was as if the universe had frozen, a disturbingly quiet moment that seemed to last forever. Then, the girl, the battlefield, and the clouds exploded in a million sparkling shards, like a rain of diamonds. And as even those disappeared, he once again found himself in the same, now unfortunately familiar alley.

Kazuhira was now laid down on the ground, back against the jagged cobbles, gasping for air. After a moment, he again tried to stand up. But it was too much, too damn much for just one day.

He'd reached his limit, and as the hand that supported him slipped and he fell on his back, he passed out.

* * *

><p><em>I…<em>

* * *

><p>"Hey, let go of me, you bastard!"<p>

"Heh heh, scream all you want, bitch. No one will ever hear."

How much time has it been? Hours, minutes? He couldn't tell. All he was sure was that it was still night and that he was still in the middle of the rotten alley. It wasn't surprising, after all, who would care about a drunk passed out on the curb, in such a place.

With difficulty, he opened his eyes. The young woman whose voice had awaken him leaned against the wall on the other side of the street. She had short, brown hair and wore a high school seifuku: by the looks of it, she was a senior. She crossed her arms around her chest, as she gazed, with eyes filled with disgust, at the men that threw her against the wall. There were several of them, all with the same jet-black jackets and tattoos, all with the same depraved look on their faces, all hungry for young flesh. Filthy pigs. Savage beasts. The scum of mankind.

Kazuhira wondered if it was just another nightmare. In fact, he wondered if anything he'd seen that day, Sayaka's rescue attempt, her later apparition, the close call he just had, if any of that had actually been real. It probably wasn't, he reckoned, it all felt like one long nightmare, and thus, it had all been nothing but a source of pain. So why bother? Why even do anything? What was the point? Better just to ignore everything… and wait for the nightmare to end.

"We're gonna gave some fun, babe!"

"No, stay away, pigs!"

But… he couldn't. Real or not, seeing such a disgusting sight irked him. Badly. Something inside him compelled him to move, even if wouldn't matter at all. An irrational feeling, certainly. But his guess was that it didn't matter, otherwise he wouldn't have sprung up and smashed the empty vodka bottle he still held on to on the leading man's skull.

The other men turned around, shocked by seeing their leader fall at the feet of what was nothing but a drunk passed out on the gutter just seconds ago. Their victim took the opportunity to escape, but the savages didn't even notice it: they were now focused on Kazuhira, possessed by rage, shouting expletives like Cossacks. One of them broke the standstill, and charged at him. And only when he took a defensive stand did he realize why he wasn't hungover: he was still drunk. His movements were slow and predictable, and his vision was as blurry as the horizon on a hot day.

But for a punk like that? It was more than enough.

He ducked below the attacker's careless punch, and answered with a right hook to his jaw. The assailant was sent flying back against a dumpster, and backflipped over the lid, falling right into a week's worth of trash from the Chinese restaurant ahead.

"That's… where you fuckers belong…"

It took him great effort to articulate those words: the booze had really kicked in, and caused him to lose his balance, falling backwards in an awkward fashion. He got up quickly, but it was clear he was in no condition to fight the remaining five men. Dishonorable as they were, they took no ceremony, and attacked Kazuhira at the same time. He was still able to fend off the first one, but could avoid a kick to his rib cage, and was knocked against the wall, his back slowly sliding down until he sat on the floor.

"You're gonna die now, you motherfucker!"

One of the men produced a switchblade, and clicked it open with a typical "swoosh" sound. Within moments, he trusted the knife forward, aimed at Kazuhira's exposed neck. He only saw the knife when it flew in front of his eyes, glowing in ominous silver, before he felt a large squirt of blood hitting his cheek…

…and saw the knife embedding itself on the wall just above his skull, slicing a few of his hairs. His attacker screamed in agony, horrified at the sight of his right hand having been turned into a bloody stump by a thunderous shot, while the other men looked in stupefaction, unaware of what was happening.

"And these are the "people" you say you fight for?"

A shadow dropped down the rooftops, and landed gracefully between Kazuhira and the hoodlums, her long, black hair almost giving her the appearance of a dark angel. However, all eyes were focused on the gigantic, pitch-black sniper rifle she held with her left hand alone, the "Aegis" Kazuhira had given her, still smoking from the previous shot.

"Homura…" Kazuhira could say no more, his speech becoming completely incoherent.

"You've had enough for one day. I'll handle this." Homura said, looking to him over her shoulder. Her expression was unusually serene, her eyes filled with kindness, instead of her usual serious and distant expression.

"Hey, you bitch! You're the one who did this?"

Finally, one of the men reacted, realizing the shot had come from Homura's Barrett. The others quickly gathered around him, abandoning their injured companion which had gone into shock, and drew firearms of their own. It didn't even take a second for Homura's typical freezing look resettled.

"I'm gonna bust yo-"

_Fuck you._

Homura was in no mood for their bullshit, and, in a blazing movement, she brought the massive rifle to her shoulder, and exploded the man's right shoulder before he could even blink, sending him spiraling through the air like a ragdoll, landing a few meters down the road. After a moment of hesitation, the remaining men, chilled to the spine, ran away in a stampede, crying out of pure fear and stomping over each other.

As their screams faded away into the night, Homura put the Aegis away. She proceeded to pick up one of the injured men's cellphone, dialed 911, and threw it in the middle of the street. She then crouched before Kazuhira, gazing at his miserable state. She didn't dare showing pity, though.

"No one else dies today." She whispered, as she effortlessly picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. The young man didn't resist: he was in no condition to, in a grey area between awareness and unconsciousness.

"Come. It's about time this day ended."

She shot off the ground, and quickly made her way across town, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, above the deserted streets. Kazuhira would mumble occasionally, but nothing a healthy human mind would understand. They stopped short of Homura's apartment, in order for her to scan the area. It was clear, and so she snuck in with Kazuhira unnoticed by any gossipy neighbor.

Homura dumped the young man on her couch, and closed the blinds, just as the first rays of dawn poured in. She retreated into her bedroom, coming back with a blanket, which she clumsily threw over him. But it'd do.

"Try to get some sleep. This day was too long." Homura meant that for herself, as well. "_Too fucking long_. But there's nothing else we can do. We'll deal with things tomorrow."

"I… couldn't save them…"

Kazuhira used the last of his strength to say that, falling into a long-delayed slumber afterwards.

"And neither could I. Don't blame yourself_…_" She replied, even though she was aware he wasn't listening. She let out a large yawn, before heading back to her bedroom.

"See you tomorrow."

And the instant she closed the door, hidden from the world where she could show no weakness, she collapsed on top of her bed, drained of any strength, too exhausted to even pull the sheets.

* * *

><p><em>I… I d-don't…<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: Unknown.**

***ahem***

**METHODS FOR OBTAINING DNA PROBES FOR FLUORESCENT IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION (FISH)**

**Yeah, I hate the name just by looking at it too (it's actually very interesting, though), but at least you don't have to work on it. :(**

**I'm sorry, terribly sorry for essentially leaving this story to rot for two months, but my life has been absolutely hectic lately (in my profile, if you really want to know), between university and other stuff. At this point, most would probably shelve the story or rewrite it: I am in no position to do any of them, so I'll carry on, even if it's not the most popular girl in the wet t-shirt contest.**

**Not sure how such an abstract and OC-centric chapter will be received, but I hope well (that is, if by now anyone still remembers the story...). The following chapter should explain any unanswered questions. I just hope it won't take another two months… because seriously, it's completely out of my hands.**

**Although I must say, being back to university did help in one aspect: I've been writing during the bus trips (I'm a crosstown student), and that was how this chapter was almost entirely written.**

**Props to jodan no ken for another title translation for this Latin illiterate that is yours truly.**

**And, as always, hope you enjoyed! God, I've missed saying that.**


	13. Inveniam Viam

"Hey, are you awake?"

Homura burst out of her room, clearly in a hurry, and pulled the blinds just enough to give the room some light: the sun was already high in the sky. The young man that slept in her couch twitched and blinked for a second, awaken by the noise and light, grabbing his temple almost instantly.

"I know it hurts, but bear with me for a second." The girl said, as she pulled the stockings and tied the bow on her school uniform. Not that she'd ever attend after Sayaka's death, but it was, by now, the only casual clothing she was used to wear.

"I'm going to look for Kyouko. I let her run off last night, holding her back would do more harm than good. But I need to find her now. In the state she's in, her actions could be… unpredictable."

_Just look at yourself…_

Kazuhira had his face buried in a couch pillow, half-conscious, but clearly with a migraine. Good for him he wasn't fully aware.

"There's aspirin and water on the table. I'll be back." Homura said, as she hurried towards the door. She opened the multiple locks, but froze when she grabbed the door handle. Her conscience wouldn't let her leave like that. Not without saying what she needed to say.

"I… I need to say something." Homura's heart was racing, as she tried to come up with the right words. Such a feeling was foreign to her, by now. "I'm… I'm sorry. I should have been more careful. I asked you to keep the girls safe… yet I contributed to their deaths. If only I'd done more, Sayaka and Mami could be alive right now…"

Homura took a deep breath. "But I won't lose Kyouko. And I won't lose you either. Not this time."

She again reached for the door handle, this time with renewed confidence. "You stay here and rest. You need it. I'll be back, and I _will_ bring Kyouko back with me. You're free to leave, but I hope you'll still be here by then."

The girl threw her hair back and walked out the door, leaving a "See you", and Kazuhira quickly fell back to sleep.

_I've been trapped in this nightmare for far too long. And you… you and Kyouko are the best shot I ever had. I'm not letting anyone else die. I'm ending this, right here, right now. _

_Madoka… I won't fail you again._

* * *

><p><em>Did I just-<em>

* * *

><p>Hours passed before the quietude in Homura's household was broken again.<p>

_That damned pendulum…_

Kazuhira blinked, as he woke up with the ominous, sickle-like pendulum in perpetual motion as his first sight. It took him a while to gain full awareness of his surroundings, as everything, even his memories seemed blurred.

He shifted to a sitting position, then slowly stood up. A mild headache bothered him, but it was nothing compared to the one from earlier. He quickly took the aspirin Homura had left him, and fully opened the blinds, revealing a rather pleasant, if chilly afternoon. As he gazed at the horizon, one question filled his mind.

…_what the fuck am I going to do now?_

Sayaka was dead for good, and Mami long gone: the Puellae he was supposed to overwatch were dead both partially because of Homura, of himself, and of that fucking cruel world. Homura had even tried to kill the former by her own hands, and he himself had told her to fuck off just a day earlier. But then she unexpectedly showed up to help them in rescuing Sayaka, saved his life in the alley and promised not to lose neither him nor Kyouko, "not this time" – what did that even mean?

His thoughts were suddenly derailed by an unexpected noise from within the house. It wasn't loud, but it was out of place. He immediately drew his Beretta, and aimed at the source of the sound: a dark corner. It didn't take long for a quadrupedal, white figure to emerge from it, slowly padding in his direction.

"It's been a long time… Kazuhira Brito."

* * *

><p>"A wretched soul, bruis'd with adversity,<p>

We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;

But were we burthen'd with like weight of pain,

As much, or more, we should ourselves complain."

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny**

**Chapter 12**

_**Inveniam Viam**_

* * *

><p>The Sakura cathedral. It almost seemed too cliché. So much that Homura didn't even bother to check there first. But nonetheless, that is there she found her target.<p>

"Take this, you son of a bitch!"

Homura had sensed it: a barrier smack in the middle of the church. She entered it just in time to see Kyouko finish the beast with a mighty slash that cleaved it in twain. The barrier quickly dissipated, returning the cathedral to it's decrepit state. But, most unusually, no Grief Seed dropped.

"Fighting familiars now, uh?"

Kyouko turned her head in a flash, shocked as she watched Homura walk up the nave. A second hadn't passed before she at a spear at her throat.

"Go. Away."

Homura didn't move an inch. She knew Kyouko wouldn't harm her unprovoked. Her crimson eyes weren't filled with rage, but sadness, like an abandoned maiden.

"You know I can't. Not with you in that state."

Kyouko lowered her spear, and looked to the ground for a second, letting out an almost imperceptible giggle. It wasn't long before raised her spear again.

"First you stalk Madoka, then you let that guy get away, and now you're even caring about me… someone like you uh?… **THEN WHY THE FUCK DID TRY TO KILL SAYAKA? AND MAMI?**"

The blade loomed even closer to Homura's neck, trembling in Kyouko's unsteady hands. She remained unflinching, however.

"That is why I'm here."

Gently, she pushed Kyouko's spear out of the way, walked past her, and stopped near the altar, her face bathed by the sunlight that was cast upon the church through the broken stained glass.

"After all that happened, I owe you an explanation."

"More lies." Kyouko spat.

"No lies." Homura immediately retorted. "I have no reason to do that. I just ask that you to listen to me to the end. I don't want any more senseless bloodshed."

* * *

><p><em>No, it was all my fault. I should have been more careful.<em>

* * *

><p>"So, I see you still bear a grudge against me."<p>

"You have no fucking idea."

Another shot left a second white corpse on the ground, and a third Kyubey fell from the ceiling.

"You know it's a waste."

"I know I don't care."

But after holding Kyubey at gunpoint for a few seconds more, Kazuhira relented, and holstered his Beretta.

"But I won't defile Homura's household any further."

Kyubey hopped on to the center table. "That is most wise."

"So, what the fuck do you want from me?" Kazuhira had curled his left hand into a fist, and it was trembling with rage. "You monster."

"Your rage is misdirected."

"My rage is _perfectly_ directed. You're the source of all this evil, you bastard. If it wasn't for you, these girls wouldn't suffer. If it weren't for you… Rika…"

"Well, yes, I will admit that Rika Brito's maturing was certainly untimely. She could have lived much longer as a Puella Magi, collecting Grief Seeds and having a relatively normal life. But it was a mistake of her to try and find out the truth about witches, if she wasn't able to handle it."

"You son of a bitch!" The young man howled, barely restraining himself from going berserk and trashing Homura's apartment trying to kill the creature.

"I'll ask you one more time." His voice was lower, and even deeper than usual. "What - do you - want? The last thing I needed was to have to talk to you, you sorry piece of crap."

"In normal conditions, I wouldn't have any interest in doing so. I do not show myself to regular humans, it's nothing but a waste of time. Hadn't your sister pressured me into showing myself to you, we'd have never met." Kyubey replied. "But the circumstances have changed."

"What do you mean?"

"The attack on Mami Tomoe." As the creature said that, Kazuhira's spine froze. "I've been investigating that event since then, and I would have never thought of the results it would lead me to."

"It all traces back to you, Kazuhira."

* * *

><p><em>But if this happens again...<em>

* * *

><p>"Did… did Mami suffer?"<p>

Kyouko sat on the broken tiles, her back against the altar. Homura stood on the other side, having finished her story, looking at nowhere in particular.

"We all suffer. But she didn't lived long as a witch, and didn't harm anyone while in that state. In the end, she was a positive force in this world. Not many Puellae can claim that."

"I see… she'd be glad to hear that."

Kyouko was clearly much calmer, peacefully processing the information and filling the gaps in the past events. She looked at the clear sky through a hole in the ceiling, reminiscing about her former senpai.

"I tried to spare Sayaka of the same fate… She was headed in the same direction." Homura knew she wasn't done. "But I was wrong in trying to kill her. I couldn't reach out to her… but maybe someone else could have."

_Maybe, just for once…_

"Damn right you were wrong. And I'll never, ever forgive you for it." There was a bit of anger in Kyouko's voice, but it quickly subsided. "But… I've thought about this before. You may be a cold-blooded bitch, but you're not an outright murderer."

Kyouko tried to say something about Homura's reasons being justifiable, but that was too much for her to bear. Instead, she stayed quiet, and playfully threw her spear in the air watching as it spun."

"What about _him_?"

"Kazuhira? I can't speak for him. Talk to him, if you have any issues to settle."

_Yeah, I'll talk to him alright…_

"But before anything, you should know what his reason to fight is nobler than either of ours. Anyway" Homura walked around the altar over to Kyouko, until their eyes met. "after telling you this-"

"Will I still fight Walpurgis with you?"

Kyouko wasn't the sharpest knife in the kitchen, but he didn't lacked street smarts. Homura was not surprised.

"Even if you do have good intentions, that's just who you are. You'd never open up like that without second intentions. But heh… at least you're honest."

Kyouko's voice was stern, but not angry. She used her spear to help her stand up, and dispelled it along with her outfit outwards.

"I hate you. I hate this world. I hate that a selfish bastard like me was left alive, rotting away, while someone like Sayaka had to die. I hate it all!"

Kyouko punched the altar with so much force she chipped away a large stone block. _Now_ she was angry. Homura, being careful not to make sudden movements, readied her right hand for a quick draw. She'd heard those famous last words before.

"All I've ever thought about was surviving, and now I don't even care if I live or die. I might as well be dead…"

"…but I'm not. Like it or not, I'm still alive. Even if I'm nothing but a zombie, even if I'll end up becoming a demon, or a soulless corpse rotting inside one of them, I'm still alive."

Kyouko's eyes were tearful, but she wasn't going to break down. That's not who she was. She wiped them out, and turned to Homura, her eyes brimming with a newfound conviction.

"I was born a worthless fuck, and I'll die a worthless fuck. But even someone like me can do something. She taught me that."

The red-haired girl took a step forward, and boldly extended her hand.

"So I'll fight. I'll fight alongside you, and we'll bring that beast down. And don't think I'm just a helping hand. Now, this is my fight too. Because… it's all I have left."

Homura knew of Kyouko's fiery mood, and she didn't went there to accept a failure either. Still, she was shocked at how Kyouko came around, and though it did not suit her, she couldn't help but to shake the hand Kyouko offered her with vigor, making a loud clap sound that echoed through the cathedral.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>It won't. I won't let it happen.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Seven months before<strong>

"Come on, we're almost there."

Kazuhira rolled his eyes, being pushed around town by his sister to god knows where. Eventually, they ended up in a dark alley on the other side of Mitakihara.

"…is this it? Did you really drag me-"

"Come on, Kyubey." Rika spoke, ignoring her brother. "You know it's not nice to make people wait."

"Okay, Rika, but you should know I do not agree with this."

"What the fuck?"

Kazuhira nearly jumped. A white creature had just appeared from thin air, right in front of Rika.

"Bro, this is Kyubey. He's the one who made the contract with me, and kinda of oversees this whole deal. _But not too well…"_

Kyubey would have frowned, if he could.

"Kyubey, this is my Kazuhira. Apart from being my older brother, _and the only person I've told this about, before you start asking, _his main functions include being a gun nut and spouting off ideological crap that just won't quit."

"Hey!" Kazuhira was not pleased.

"It can't be helped…" The creature took a few steps forward, stopping closer to the young man. "Hello, Kazuhira. Sorry for the bother, but I'd rather keep this world hidden from humans. But Rika insisted that I met you."

"Yeah… I understand where that's coming from."

"Regardless, you appear to be reliable. I trust you to keep what you see a secret, and support to support Rika as her brother. It couldn't hurt her to have a more mature person overwatching her."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Before Rika could further her annoyance, she sensed her Soul Gem pulsating. There was definitely a witch nearby. _Perfect._

"Okay, let's move out. You two, stick to me."

"Again, Rika, I don't think-"

"Can it, Kyubey. Now let's go!"

* * *

><p><em>Don't blame yourself. There's no such thing as absolute good and evil.<em>

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, it all traces back to me? What are you talking about?"<p>

"I'll start from the beginning."

The creature now stood in its hind legs, but made no other movement. It knew that, with Kazuhira, there was no point in making his usual cat-like movements, which other humans somehow found so aesthetically attractive.

"Six earthly months ago, Rika Brito matured into a witch due to the grief she suffered from learning the truth about her own nature. I collected the energy from her transformation, and left to attend other businesses."

Kazuhira moved around the room, uneasy, Kyubey's red eyes never losing track of him. He'd thought and relived that day countless times, but it was still distressing to hear it from the creature's mouth.

"However, her Grief Seed was never accounted for. And over the course of the next six months, several other witches vanished, the city's Puellae having no idea about it. One could have been an anomaly; a few could have simply migrated to another area. But a dozen couldn't be a coincidence. Most likely, it was the work of an Irregular taking a low profile. And it was with that premise that I investigated the attack on Mami Tomoe."

_Oh, have I been busting your little deal? Too bad, fucker._

"I thoroughly investigated, and there was no Puellae I could possibly place at the scene." And, for the first time since Kyubey arrived, it blinked. "But then… I certainly did not expect to see you, of all people, appearing out of nowhere, somehow involved with Sayaka Miki's transformation and Kyouko Sakura's insane "salvation" attempt. You should not be alive. And yet, there you were, guns blazing, fighting a war that's not yours. I immediately connected the pieces."

"You underestimate what a human can do." Kazuhira retorted. He couldn't hide a bit of pride he had for living through all that.

"You underestimate yourself, Kazuhira. I could tell back then, you were far above the average, mediocre human. But now, there's really no way I could even call you one of them again."

"What?" He was caught by surprise by that line.

"I watched you crawl out of Sayaka Miki's final resting place, and followed you, watching from above as you roamed around aimlessly, while you poured down that intoxicating beverage down your throat." Kyubey jumped from the table to one of the benches surrounding it. "And you started to talk to yourself, paranoiac, apologizing to the skies. I can only assume that was the result of the beverage."

"But then, I understood why I always sensed a faint presence around you. A barrier started to form around yourself: you sister's, from within your own body. Most likely, your own despair awoke it. But that was not the least impressive compared to what happened next: you managed to suppress it before it was fully released, without any aid. We Incubators have never seen anything that even resembled that. Simply extraordinary."

Kazuhira now fully realized the situation. Kyubey knew all of his doings. And that frightened him somehow.

"So yes." He replied, defiant. "I should have died that day. But I didn't. I couldn't take all of my sister's pain away; but I couldn't finish her either. I chose to follow a third path. A different one than what destiny had for me."

"Impressive, indeed." One could almost see Kyubey's eyes glittering.

"So, now that you have it all figured out, what are you going to do, you motherfucker?" Kazuhira just couldn't help but to spit expletives at Kyubey every once in a whole. "Are you going to try and rip her off? Gonna kill me and place my body on a test tube? Just come and get me, you bastard."

"Not at all. In fact, the reason I come here it to issue a simple, friendly warning: do not fight Walpurgisnacht. You will perish."

That one Kazuhira did not expect.

"What the- since when do you care about anyone?"

"I cannot "care". But as I said, the circumstances have changed. You're not just another regular, expendable, worthless human. You are something that has never been seen before: a human living in near symbiosis with a witch, and dare I say, able to communicate with it to some extent."

"So it's option B."

"There is no need for that." Kyubey denied. "I have no need to disclose our reasons, but it is all for the universe's sake. Just by living, you are contributing towards a brighter future. For example, we have learned not to ever again underestimate blood ties between humans."

Kazuhira did not answer. Hearing Kyubey talking about a "brighter future" was laughable, but laughing at such a moment would have been inappropriate. Especially after he was told that he was a test subject, like it or not.

"Have you looked at your right arm since last night?"

Kazuhira immediately understood what he meant. He folded his right sleeve, and his fears were confirmed: the patch of grey, lifeless skin around his sister's Soul Gem had expanded, nearly taking all of his forearm. His muscles and bones were unaffected, but the skin was completely numb, as if it wasn't his anymore.

"Just as I expected. For all your strength, a mere human vessel cannot sustain such power. If is triggered again, your chances of survival are minimal. But... I guess you already knew that, didn't you?"

No answer.

And thus, I say again: stay away from Walpurgisnacht. You were lucky enough to come out alive out of all those witch's lairs, but the same will not happen this time."

"You speak like a scientist." The young man said. "Yet, you're dogmatic."

"We do not believe in dogmas. However, there is such a thing as statistical impossibility. Walpurgisnacht is simply a foe you cannot beat. Not you, nor Kyouko, nor Homura can vanquish it. Your best chance is to flee before it lays ruin to this city. If you choose to fight, you will surely die. All of you."

Kyubey somehow manage sound colder than he already was.

"I believe such a thing is what you humans call "destiny"."

In a heartbeat, a thousand feelings zoomed past Kazuhira's mind. From the sheer anger of hearing that word, to how laughable it was that Kyubey was using it.

"Destiny, uh?"

He moved in closer to the creature. Just to make sure.

"Well… **FUCK DESTINY!**"

The windows and the ground shook. He'd shouted louder than he expected. Then again, that is how emotions work.

"Destiny, uh? The impending doom that hovers above us all? The single biggest source of ruin in the universe? Well, **FUCK. IT! **I don't care what my destiny is! I won't accept it! I'll carve my own path! I won't stay and watch as everything I hold dear is burned down because the heavens say so!"

A moment of silence followed, after his voice's echo subsided. There was nothing else to say.

"…I see. So that's that."

The creature jumped off the bench, and started to walk back to the corner he'd appeared from. As it did so, Kazuhira noticed something: a metallic glow on the other side of the bench. Out of curiosity, he picked up the object. It was a key. A very familiar one. He immediately rushed to the window, completely ignoring Kyubey.

"If you have second thoughts, do flee. We dislike deaths that serve no purpose." Kyubey insisted, as it padded away.

Kazuhira was looking down to the street in shock. Parked across the street, contrasting with the family vans and sedans, there was a flash green Kawazaki Ninja.

_How the…_

…_Homura. Hmph._

"It's not without a purpose, and I won't back down. I _will_ fight. And we will win. I will find a way." He said, with confidence. There was now a large smile in his face.

"Then I will insist no more."

"But for once, I must thank you, Incubator." Kazuhira threw the bike's keys in the air, caught them with the opposite hand, and pocketed them. "Amidst the chaos, I'd lost sight of my purpose."

He clenched his left fist. "Not anymore."

"I see. Well, believe it or not, I wish you luck, Kazuhira."

The creature retreated to the darkness, and soon after vanished, leaving the young man alone in the apartment again.

* * *

><p><em>So if angels can be malicious...<em>

* * *

><p>"Look at that bike. Heh, whoever owns that thing doesn't know how to blend in."<p>

"I won't argue you there."

Homura opened the door, and trotted up the stairs to her apartment, Kyouko following her attentively. The latter checked her pockets, but found nothing but an empty pack of Pocky.

"Do you have anything I can munch? Haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

"I should have a few cereal bars."

"Eh…" Kyouko couldn't hide her disappointment. "It'll do."

Kyouko was suspicious when she saw Homura open four locks on her apartment's door, but decided to let it slide: everyone had their paranoias, and this was hers. The pair then entered the apartment, but Kyouko froze just a step in front of the door.

"…you."

_NO!_

With a lightning-quick reaction, Homura pushed Kyouko's right arm upwards, just as the ring in her middle finger morphed into a Soul Gem. A bent spear erupted violently from its core, and only stopped at the ceiling, destroying a good part of it.

And Kazuhira just stood there, right under the spear, as his life flashed before his eyes.

"Homura…" Kyouko said, first in a low tone, then in a quickly rising one. "I know what I promised, but if you don't get the fuck out of my way right now, the fuck with everything, you get me?"

"Kyouko, no. I won't let it happen."

"I know…" Kyouko clenched her free fist, and her eyebrows, her arm, then her whole body stated to tremble in rage. "I know he was trying to save Sayaka. I know it's irrational. But he did it. He fucking did it, he fucking _killed her_, he put a grenade down her throat, and I just, I just, I just gotta… ARGH! GET OUTTA MY WAY!"

"Kyouko, I-"

An acute, screeching sound from above interrupted Kazuhira's appeasement attempt. He looked up, just to see that the spear had pierced the ceiling right next to the giant pendulum's base. He only had a split second to jump to the side, as the pendulum fell on where he stood and embedded itself on the ground, leaving a large dent on it and nearly plummeting to the floor below.

And Homura simply sighed, shaking the dust off her uniform.

"There's no helping it… whatever issues you two have, we have settle it before we proceed. And since talking isn't an option… come with me. Both of you. Now."

Homura turned back around, and again left her apartment, still holding on to Kyouko. The red-haired girl struggled to get free from Homura's hold, but she only allowed it when she was sure she wouldn't try anything. Kazuhira was still standing in the same place, but after a moment's hesitation, followed the two girls, maintaining some distance.

Two minutes later, they were in a back alley, surrounded by buildings and with only one way in and out.

"Alright. I dislike senseless fighting, but I have no choice. Kyouko, Kazuhira, here's how it is: no weapons, first to pass out loses. Beat whatever you have piled up on the other. I'll overwatch."

Kazuhira was taken aback, but, though reluctant, assumed a defensive position. Kyouko immediately turned to protest, but was interrupted before she could even start.

"That's all you're getting, Kyouko. And don't complain, this is already favorable to you, with your magically-enhanced body."

Kyouko snorted.

"I'd rather not do this." Kazuhira said to both girls.

"I'd rather do _so much more_ than this."

"Even if you're reluctant, don't dare holding back, Kazuhira." Homura warned. "She'll kill you."

"She knows me." Kyouko said, as she assumed a stance of her own.

Homura face away from the pair, and leapt up to the alley's only streetlamp the exact moment the sun went under the horizon and drowned the alley in darkness. Within moments, it turned on, casting a single light over Kazuhira and Kyouko.

"Go."

The girl immediately rushed at Kazuhira, and readied a punch. He ducked below it, but was caught by a breathtaking knee blow, and flinched. Kyouko took immediate advantage and drove a vicious elbow on the back of his neck, making Kazuhira collapse to the ground. Mercilessly, she kicked him in the ribcage, sending him rolling away.

"She warned you not to hold back. Do that again, and I'll make you suffer."

Kazuhira coughed a few times and struggled back up, but he was fine. The moment he was upright, Kyouko went for him again. She again attempted a punch, but Kazuhira caught her hard, and grappled her over his head. But the girl landed on her feet, and kicked him right in the face with her heel. Kazuhira again flinched, but recovered before Kyouko could take advantage. He crossed his arms and blocked a flurry of punches, and finally a side kick, creating some distance between the two.

"I said DON'T DO THAT!"

The girl attacked again, but the pattern repeated itself: she used the most violent blows she had, enhanced by the magic flowing in her veins, while Kazuhira limited himself to parrying her blows and attempting to immobilize her with grapples. The deadlock remained for about ten minutes, neither of them backing down, their fatigue visibly increasing.

"Kyouko, I-"

"Shut up and fight, you coward!"

The spearwoman thrust her left fist forward, Kazuhira catching it with his right hand in a violent clash.

"I tried to-"

"SHUT UP!"

She tried to do the same with the right fist, with the same result.

"I know I failed, but did everything I could to-"

"**SHUT UP!**"

Kyouko started to glow red, her rage fueling her powers. In a primal fit of rage, she overpowered Kazuhira, freeing herself from his hold, and drove a staggering right hook to his jaw, sending him flying away, skipping across the concrete floor, only stopping a few meters ahead.

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?"

There'd be no chivalry this time. Kyouko jumped atop her downed foe, and started punching the living hell out of his face, shouting louder and louder with each punch.

"I JUST… WANTED SAYAKA BACK… AND YOU… TOOK HER… AWAY… from me…"

But her last punch was weaker, and when she raised her hand for another one, she couldn't do it. Her hands fell on Kazuhira's jacket, losing their strength.

"**WHY?** FUCKING WHY?"

Unwittingly, she'd closed her fists around the jacket. Unable to hold it any longer, Kyouko broke down completely, tears running down her face, her face falling between her arms, on top of Kazuhira's half-unconscious body. Homura had gotten up to intervene, but as she saw Kyouko's aggression vanish, she sat down on the streetlamp again, and watched as the girl cried her heart out, satisfied with the results of her little experiment.

_She needed that._

It took her about twenty minutes, but the fiery girl eventually stopped sobbing, and slowly stood up. Kazuhira had by now mostly regained his conscience, though he was quite bruised.

"Alright." Homura jumped down to the street, and stood between the two. "We still have a week before Walpurgis arrives. So go do something else today. Have a rest, clear your minds. We rally tomorrow at the same time at my house."

Kyouko wiped the few remaining tears with her sleeve, nodded, and started to walk away. Kazuhira attempted to stand up, but his hands faltered, and Homura quickly came to his assistance.

"Hey, don't work yourself. Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I don't think I broke anything." He said, his voice weak, but not as much as Homura thought it would be. "But this is going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow."

Homura slung his left arm over her shoulder, and helped him up.

"Kyouko-"

"She's fine, trust me. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I think I can…"

Homura let go of Kazuhira, and though his balance wasn't the best, he could walk on his own. Homura stepped in front of him, and lead the way back to her apartment.

"I need to talk to her…"

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't. I just need to clear the air between us."

Homura sighed.

"Okay, but leave her be today. She needs time to process everything. Just be careful with what you say. But for now…" Homura paused, and looked for a second to the sky, grasping the ring of her middle finger. "I think we got her. We're together in this. All of us."

* * *

><p><em>...so too can demons do good. Believe in me.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Intro quote by: William Shakespeare**

**Almost another month. Good to know some things don't change, uh?**

**A good part of this was written while listening to Sky Clad no Kansokusha. For the ones that know it, I'm sure you can see the influence it had. For the ones that don't, you know what to do. **

**I'll wait.**

**And, as always, hope you enjoyed!**


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